The Silly Choices We Make
by lawlietfan347
Summary: L and Light meet in a modern day Titanic love story. Light as a member of high aristocracy, L Lawliet, a second class citizen. When their luxury cruise turns into a battle for survival, will the choices they make ultimately determine their fate?
1. Prologue: This is it!

**Ok. Wow I'm not even sure how this fanfiction came about, I was about to continue with Drunken Confessions Will Be the Death of Me and…this happened. I was watching Titanic (which is my favourite movie by the way) and it made me think of Light and L for some weird reason. I'm pretty sure there aren't any fanfictions of this nature so I thought I'd take a swing at it! This chapter Is just an introduction, a prologue I guess, the real-ness of the story doesn't start until the second chapter. It is based off of Titanic, but I'm gonna try to keep it modern and try not to totally ride on the Titanic movie plot. Not sure about the iceberg thing but it wouldn't be Titanic without it huh? I'll think about it I guess. Meh anyway enough with me rambling, hope you guys like it! **

**Pairings:**** LxLight, slight MattxMello**

**Warnings:**** Language every once in a while, sexual activities later on in the story, that should be about it for now. Anything else I'll warn you about before you read.**

**It is AU, the actual Death Note aspect I'm not sure to add in yet, but again, I'll let you know before you read. The time is current, but the ship is still going to sink, promise.**

**Update 10/2/2011**

****THIS STORY IS LXLIGHT AND ALWAYS WILL BE, IGNORE CHAPTER 4 AND ANY OTHER CHANGES I MIGHT HAVE MADE IN ANY OTHER CHAPTER!****

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L POV

I could sense the tang of the ocean, then the thundering sound of the waves, propelled by the wind, crashing onto the rocks. The power as the waves crash down, like some living entity, intent on destruction resonated in my chest. The ocean was vast, its surface broken only by the waves moving towards the shore. I could feel the wind, hear the sound of seagulls, crying out and removed my shoes on the sandy beach to feel the warm sand caressing my feet. Light Yagami walked beside me, our fingers intertwined as we strolled lazily down the shoreline. The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the water with the reflection of brilliant pink and orange that spread across the sky. For the first time in my life, I felt that things were actually going right, that I finally found my niche in the world. As cliché as it sounded, to me, everything was perfect. Just the way it should be. We both knew this was wrong, but it felt so right.

And just how did I get caught up in this sappy lovey-dovey story? Well, it all started with a contest…

"I know this is the one! I can feel it right here!" Mello pounded on his chest with his fist, his eyes glued to his computer screen. I rolled my eyes for the billionth time that day crossing my arms over my own chest.

"Right Mello, because you didn't say that the other 23 times." I grumbled under my breath. The blonde scoffed.

"Uh, 22 times, thank you very much L." he had his hand poised on the worn out computer mouse, like a cat ready to pounce on…well a mouse. Mello's eyes flicked back and forth to the clock mounted on the wall behind the computer, starting a countdown from 5.

"4…3…2…1!" he yelled, slamming his finger down on the mouse's clicker. Poor thing. It had been abused and maltreated for years, but it never faltered, always staying strong. Mello swivelled his chair around to face me, a triumphant smirk replacing his usually cross demeanour. I raised an almost nonexistent eyebrow.

"So what did you enter us in this time?" I asked, peeking around his head to look at the computer screen. In one lightening moment, he had rotated around to exit the current window before I could read whatever website he was on. The smirk widened.

"No, no, L, I won't let you see until we win." His voice was jocular in a way that made me uneasy. I narrowed my eyes sceptically

"What do you mean 'until we win'? How are you sure we'll win? Did you get Matt to 'increase your chances of winning'?" Mello waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, we already tried that, didn't work. Anyway, that's not the point!" he said elatedly, "The point is, I've been working on this particular contest for a while now, and I think we have a high probability of winning." I pursed my lips

"Put a number on it."

"87% minimum." Mello shot back confidently. "I've submitted in exactly 500 entries a day for the past 2 weeks. And that takes dedication dude, I'm talkin' round the clock everyday. I'm pretty confident that over half the submissions they'll get are mine. Even if the winner is chosen randomly. And I guarantee that this is a contest you will want to win." He waggled his eyebrows which just made my eyes narrow even more in suspicion.

"Uh-huh. Right, well best of luck to you Mello." I said in jest, chuckling. He pointed a finger at me, a solemn expression on his face now.

"Don't joke with me, I'm totally serious, this is completely legit. I'm telling you I'm gonna win this time, I can feel it." I didn't believe it though.

To say Mello had a problem would be an understatement. He had an obsession for entering contests, especially online contests. Ever since he had discovered it (and I blame myself for it) a few years ago, he had scoured the internet for every single one he could find, anything from prize money to grandiose trips to tropical islands and everything in between. I had seen him spend many a night secluded in his room, in the dark, his fingers ticking away at the keyboard as he forged personal information and submitted his entries over and over again. Most of the time it was until the wee hours of the morning. A majority of the contests he entered came up fruitless, usually only a 15% success rate. His boyfriend Matt supported the blond's endeavours, sometimes 'helping him along' by hacking into the sites to screw around with the other submissions, but even that was risky, still only a 15% success rate.

Mello waved his hand at me again, shooing me out of his room from his desk chair.

"Anyway, get out. Today was the deadline for submitting entries and they're selecting a winner tonight so I need to watch the polls." He said in a way that didn't leave any room for discussion. He was very serious about this kind of thing, and if anyone besides Matt disturbed him, it meant imminent demise. And the fact that I wanted to keep all my limbs meant I turned and swiftly left the room, closing the door as I went.

I live with my biological older brother B and our "half brothers" Mello, Matt, and Near. We were originally orphans living in an orphanage in Winchester, England known as Wammy's House, but B being over 21 was able to "adopt" all four of us.

B was…B. There aren't many words to describe him besides a fucking lunatic. He was disturbing and bizarre, and he had a smile that made you want to run away from him screaming in terror as you went. Even though we were a few years apart, B and I looked almost exactly alike, save his crimson red eyes and slightly straighter posture. He was also incredibly frank with everything. For example he would be the one who told you that you looked fat in those pants without a second thought. He wasn't one to spare feelings, but I guess part of that was because he was a masochist. He also had a thing for strawberry jam, it's disgusting, and it makes up 90% of his diet.

Mello was a livewire. Being only 15, he was always in a pissy mood, throwing tantrums and causing trouble for everyone in the house. He wore nothing but exceptionally tight leather and as I said, he was blond. Along with his contest problem, he had an overwhelming addiction to chocolate.  
His boyfriend and best friend was Matt. Man of few words. He was the passive one, a foil to Mello really. He was also 15 and the one that calmed the blond down before his random tantrums destroyed another item in our house. Matt was a chain smoker (regrettably) and an avid video game addict. There wasn't a time where I didn't see him with either a cigarette or his handheld gameboy. He also always wore this pair of orange goggles. They were usually perched on top of his head but he almost never took them off.

Near isn't someone who is easy to read. He's extremely quiet and introverted, his sharp calculating gray eyes analyzing everything around him. We believe he's part albino, because both his skin and his hair are a creamy alabaster white. He likes to play with toys, robots and the occasional stuffed animal, making sounds for them as he manipulates them. It's actually kinda cute when you watch him, but I'd never tell him that. He was so small and delicate looking that you'd think he was almost 10 year old, but believe it or not, he was 14. Go figure. He was also a lad of few words, and had a keen habit of twirling a lock of snowy hair around his fingers. Near and Mello had a bit of a rivalry. Mello absolutely hated Near because Near was smarter. I mean they were both incredibly brilliant, but Mello always managed to come in second. If Mello got a 97 on a test, Near got a 100, so on and so forth. It was a little thing we all learned to deal with.

Even though legally we were B's children in actuality we all do whatever the hell we want. We could say what we want, go where we want, stay up as late as we wanted, it didn't matter. So long as you came back at the end of the night it didn't matter where you went, and if you break it you fix it. Plus, with Matt and Mello being a couple, there were no restrictions against sex acts in our house. Needless to say, it could get quite loud at night, but I had invested in a quality pair of earplugs so it wasn't as much of a problem. Living in this house was interesting to say the least, and never boring. The founder of Wammy's House, Quillish Wammy, otherwise known as Watari, had been gracious enough to buy us our own freaking house in Japan. It wasn't extremely big and we had to pay all the bills but hey, a roof over my head and three meals a day, I wasn't one to complain. And it wasn't unbearable, most of the time anyway. We all had jobs to put forward money, but even with all of us working, money was still sparse. Luckily our house had come pre-furnished or else I don't know how we would have made it.

I trudged down the stairs towards the kitchen, I could feel my blood sugar getting low again. I have hypoglycaemia so in order to counteract that, I have to supply my body with a superfluous amount of sugary substances. Not that I mind though, I love sweets. Our kitchen was spacious, stainless steel appliances abound, granite countertops, and we even harboured a large commercial walk in refrigerator. Yeah, amazing right? Don't ask me how Watari arranged it. I threw open the fridge doors, suddenly hit with a blast of arctic air. The contents of the refrigerator were normal food for the most part, different ingredients and pre-prepared dishes, B actually was a decent cook when he wanted to be. I on the other hand avoided it like the plague. At one point I had singed my eyebrows off while trying to make toast. I had been too afraid to try again so I stuck to letting B handle all heating devices.

Towards the rear of the fridge, were some of my most prized possessions. Cake. Ah my strawberry cake was my Achilles heel, its saccharine goodness broke down my resolve so whenever I see it, I can't help but hack off a nice big chunk and enjoy it, which is what I did. B was sitting at the head of our large table while I sat down with my exceptionally large piece of cake. As anticipated, he had a jar of his beloved strawberry jam, reading some leather bound book. I nodded to B, fork in hand.

"What are you reading?" I asked, just making small talk. He didn't look up at me when he replied.

"Edgar Allan Poe." Of course it was. Edgar Allan Poe stories were creepy and sometimes sadistic, just up his alley. He waved his hand at me dismissively. "Now don't talk to me I'm busy." Of course he was. Everyone was always 'busy' with something. I mean yeah I like being alone, solitude is my sanctuary, but I do like human interaction every once in a while, I'm not a total hermit. In situations like these, I would usually take some cash (most of it was the prize money Mello won), flag down a cab, and just wander around the city until I got even more bored than I was before. I used to go to the library but I read all the books there so I tried going to a local bar a while back. I was already 21 and there weren't any bouncers during the day. I wasn't really one for drinking though, it wasn't sweet enough for my taste. Instead I would sit in my favourite worn booth and people watch, drawing on the coasters with one of the various pens I always had on hand. Needless to say, I usually get plenty of dirty looks from the bartenders and waitresses.

That day I just didn't feel like going anywhere. I scooped some cake onto my fork and guided it into my mouth, letting the saccharine flavour marinate on my tongue before swallowing. Cake was also my refuge. When everything in the world was changing, cake was always the same. That was my axiom that I lived by day to day. I finished my cake in a matter of minutes and trekked back up the stairs. I peeked into Matt's room and Near's room to say my hellos and made my way down the hall to my own room. Contrary to what you might think, I kept my room pristine. Made my bed everyday, vacuumed, dusted, the whole nine yards. I swear I'm the cleanest one in that damn house.

I plopped down on my bed, blowing a lock of raven hair from my eyes. There really wasn't anything to do, so I clicked on my television to see what caught my eye. After flipping through about 50 channels, I settled on a crime show. Law & Order: SVU I believe. I'm a part time police detective for the Japanese NPA so it was interesting to watch because I could understand the legal jargon. I watched an episode, able to figure out the culprit in a matter of minutes even though the show lasted an entire hour. I watched another after another, finding myself completely enthralled with all the different cases, even though they were unbelievably simple to solve. I wasn't typically one for TV but I couldn't take my eyes away from it all of a sudden. Before I knew it, it was already way past dusk, the sky turned a dark obsidian.

_I could have sworn it was around 11am when I came up here…have I been watching this all day long? How come no one came to interrupt me or tell me what time it was? Oh right. Everyone was 'busy'. _

The time was actually 1am, and despite the fact that I was a notorious insomniac, sleep hit me like a brick in the face. I was already on my bed and didn't feel like changing out of my current clothes so I flipped off the TV and slipped under the covers. My consciousness ebbing away as my brain succumbing to sleep…

"_YES!" _A solitary scream of elation shattered the darkness. My eyes snapped open and I groaned. I'd know that voice anywhere. Mello. He and Matt must be up to their midnight antics. Time to break out the earplugs…

"_L! B! MATT! NEAR! GET IN HERE!" _My brow furrowed, trying to comprehend what I had just heard. That was definitely unusual. In my sleepy fog, I stumbled out of my bed in the dark, cursing when my shin was attacked by my nightstand. Now sleep deprived and in pain, I lurched down the hallway to Mello's room. Upon getting to the doorway, I was met by Mello's face, a victorious grin stretched ear to ear. He was bouncing on his toes, practically ready to explode. Matt and B were already in the room, looking extremely pissed off and drowsy, Near was nowhere to be seen.

"What is it now Mello?" I grumbled groggily, ready to go back to sleep.

"I won." He said simply, letting out an un-Mello-like squeak. "_I WON!" _He shouted in my face. I resisted the overpowering urge to bash his face in right then.

"Won what?" Matt croaked before I could respond.

"You are looking at the winner of a 5 day 4 night luxury cruise for 5, it leaves in 3 days!" He yelped, scampering over to his computer to show us the proof. My eyes went wide when I read over the terms of the contest. This was a real, legit prize. For a moment, my lethargy vanished, replaced by an out of character giddiness. B was obviously excited, his crimson eyes alight with a child-like excitement.

Matt's expression was passive as usual, gameboy in hand, but he stuck his tongue out to the side as he played which was his own way of saying "HOLY CRAP THIS IS SO FREAKING AMAZING!" Sleep evidently forgotten, Mello and B were buzzing about swimsuits and lounging by the pool and some other things that I didn't quite catch. While all this was well and good, I was still left with my exhausted stupor and wanted nothing more than to talk about this when I was fully awake. As I was about to turn and leave, Near's ivory pajama clad body appeared in the doorway. He was clearly still half asleep as he rubbed at his bleary eyes, his dearly loved teddy bear clutched to his chest.

"What's with all the tumult and furore?" he muttered sleepily. You could always count on Near to be completely literate and lucid when half awake. Mello grinned, walked over to the albino boy and clamped his hands on the boy's scrawny shoulders.

"Pack your shit, Near, we're goin' on a cruise!" he yowled.

That was the turning point.

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**A/N: Probably poorly detailed but whatever, it's just a prologue for you to get the general feel for the story. Light comes in next chapter and as the story goes along, the other Wammy boys might start to fade away depending on what I need them for in the plot. R&R and I'll give you a cookie! ^_^**


	2. Thank God for Banana Peels

**Yay another chapter! My muse decided to go get hit by a bus, I couldn't think of anything to write on this chapter for days . BUT! My muse is now in the hospital on IV fluids recovering and now I can write once again. Light finally appears (yay) and my depiction of him is…a bit more than he deserves but hey, he's Light Yagami :P**

**Warnings: There shouldn't be any, very very very slight language but that's all.**

***insert huge disclaimer here***

**On with the story!**

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L POV

The next few days were a big blur. Everyone was scrambling around the house, grabbing everything and anything they could possibly use or need on the trip. Mello was a freaking maniac, running around the house, talking a mile a minute. I swear he hadn't stopped talking since we had heard the good news. At one point, I had told Mello to shut the fuck up. Bad choice since that landed me with a good ol' fashioned Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the chest. Knocked flat on my ass, clutching my torso, and gasping for breath, I decided to keep my mouth shut from then on. Even Near was shuffling around the house faster than he normally did.

I had watched him pack, carefully labeling each of his toy robots by writing a calligraphic 'N' in his neat scrawl. Being the proverbial black sheep of our family, Near was always extremely reclusive like myself. I can definitely relate to him, I've never been one for conversation or social interaction. In fact, it wouldn't be an understatement to say I avoided it like the plague. One could call me naïve for not knowing how to mingle with people my own age. Neither does Near. Needless to say, I have a soft spot for the kid, but not in a sexual way. No nothing like that. He's like a little brother to me and I'm not one for incest. Though now if I think about it, Matt and Mello…

Right now I was leaned against his doorframe, hands in my jean pockets. Near was crouched on the ground facing away from me, still putting toys and puzzles and dice into a separate suitcase from his clothes. His beloved teddy bear Nui-chan was clutched to his chest and I smiled.

"Hey Prope, inseris perfectus etiamnunc?" (_Hey Near, you finished packing yet?_) I asked in flawless Latin just because I could. Near turned to look at me. I was surprised to see concern and apprehension wrinkling his face; it was an expression I had never seen in my life. Near always presented himself with such unerring stoicism that I had believed that he never possessed the emotion known as anxiety.

"Nui-chan uważa, że nie powinniśmy iść na rejs. Uważa on, że jeśli pójdziemy, coś strasznego będzie występować ..." (_Nui-chan thinks that we shouldn't go on the cruise. He believes that if we go, something terrible is going to occur..._) Near replied in...Polish? I didn't mention to him that Polish was one of my weaker languages, but I knew enough to know what he said. I frowned and shook my head.

"That's absurd. Of course nothing pernicious is going to happen as a result of us going on a cruise, tell Nui-chan that he has nothing to worry about. It'll be...fun." I suppressed a fortuitous shiver at the last part, for me fun was a four letter word and I was not one to feign excitement. He probably didn't buy it but Near's face smoothed back into that same unreadable expression that I knew so well. He shrugged his thin shoulders.

"Whatever you say L." he murmured, turning back to his toys. He usually didn't distrust my judgment, but his words were laced with underlying doubt and I narrowed my eyes, turning out of his room and languidly walking to my own. Being me, I had already finished packing hours ago and was waiting until Mello finished his untimely destruction of our house. I pressed myself against the wall as said blond rushed past me in a whirlwind, holding…baby powder? Heaven only knew why one would need to bring an industrial sized bottle of baby powder on a cruise. Upon making it to my room, I unzipped my suitcase to inspect its contents…again. 6 t-shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of knee length jean-type pants, an ample amount of undies (I use that word because it irks everyone in the house) and socks, toilet trees, the works. I even packed 2 swimsuits, I do happen to be a decent swimmer. The tees I packed consisted of mainly band shirts, my favorite 'Avenged Sevenfold' one for good measure. To top it all off, I packed a more *insert slightly awkward chuckle here* baroque outfit, just in case Mello wanted all of us to go to some fancy dinner *insert exasperated sigh here*. That part I was sure was inevitable. I didn't bother packing anything other than the necessities because I was sure Mello's bag would supply me with anything I could possibly ever need. With the exception of the stash of red velvet cupcakes I had stored in a false bottom of the bag. I packed those because they were among my favorite flavors of cupcake, number 3 to be exact. Yes, I made a chart for it, don't judge me! At least I don't add footnotes, that'd be just weird.

Successfully prepared, I looked down at my carefully and neatly packed suitcase, grinning at the fact that my OCD-ness had come in handy. Albeit I was completely unaware of the figure that slipped into my room, creeping up behind me.

"Hey L!" A strident voice that I recognized as B's shattered my thoughts, and possibly my eardrums. I let out an out of character shriek, almost turning to punch my look-alike in the face. B had a please smirk on his face and I glowered at him

"What do you want B?" I growled harshly. He shrugged, unfazed.

"Mello wants us downstairs to leave in 15 minutes, not a second later." Be rolled his crimson eyes as he quoted the blond. I sighed, zipping my bag closed. Standing up, I stretched the muscles in my back. It cracked and popped as I felt my back tighten, then loosen comfortably. I had been hunched over on the ground for hours, digging around under my bed and in my drawers and crawling around because I was too lazy to exert the energy needed to get me to my feet.

"Alright, I'm ready to go now, lemmie just get my carry-on bag." I said. B nodded, scampering out of my room, whistling. Crazy bastard. I love him like hell but sometimes (most of the time) I want to throttle him. I grabbed a tattered backpack from the deepest recess of my closet, the one I used to use for school, emptying all of its contents into the trash before stuffing it with a few 'need to have' items. A few books, my iPod and charger, some extra cash (from a secret stash I kept hidden between my mattress and the box spring. Can you say 'Leave it to Beaver'?), and my sketchpad along with a plethora of charcoal pencils. Believe it or not, I'm an avid artist, and a pretty damn good one if I do say so myself. Narcissism ran in the family. I have several sketchbooks of various subjects collecting dust in my closet. Nature scenes are usually my muse, but on this particular trip I wanted to broaden my hypothetical horizon and try my hand at drawing real people. Satisfied with my packing, I hooked the backpack over my shoulder and with my suitcase in tow, began my descent downstairs.

Mello had us take 4 'family photos' before we left, 3 out of the 4 featuring Matt flipping the bird to the camera. After 10 minutes of arguing, we finally took one decent picture. Near, being the shortest was in the front, scowling good-humoredly at B as he ruffled the boy's snowy hair from above, grinning like a maniac. Matt was holding up Mello on his back piggy-back style, smiling a toothy grin that matched Mello's. I was standing next to B a convivial smirk on my face. I had one arm hooked around B's neck, the other hand formed a pleasantly cliché peace sign. The camera flashed, capturing what might have been the last recorded happy moment we would all have together.

* * *

The RMS Titanic.

Proclaimed to be the 'grandest cruise ship in the world.' I was at a loss for words as I tried not to gape like a retarded fish as I stared up at the cruise in all of its epic splendor. Matt padded past me, his eyes never leaving his PSP. He stole a quick glance at my dumbfounded expression.

"You can pick your jaw up off the dock at any time now." He said, sarcasm dripping from his words. I clamped my mouth shut; flipping him the bird ever so discreetly and he chuckled and trotted off the join Mello who was, in truth, babbling like a freaking school girl. I couldn't make out what he was saying but he was pointing animatedly at something on the vessel that I couldn't see.

I spared a fleeting look around the loading dock, the slight smell of fish and sea salt wafting to my nose. It wasn't pleasant, but not unbearable either. The sun was burning through the hazy clouds, starting to beat down on me. I had opted out of wearing shorts (mainly because I hate my knees. I just hate looking at them.) and was scowling ruefully at my poor decision. I could feel sweat trickling down my back, my thick dark hair that stored heat like a thermos didn't help either. It was sweltering at this time of day and B had insisted on taking half an hour to go to the bathroom. I had bet that he was probably rigging the stalls so that the toilets would detonate. I wouldn't put it past B to do that, I've seen him make an explosive using only a tube sock, some string, and a paper clip. To this day I still don't know how he did it. Finally, finally B came out of the bathrooms located a few meters away, a grin on his face, one that I knew as the 'I just pranked someone' grin. I rolled my eyes and gathered my luggage and motioned for Near, Matt and Mello to follow as we headed towards the boarding ramp. Near's lips were turned down indiscernibly into a frown as we passed through baggage, one of the welcoming porters transporting our suitcases to our respective rooms. I nudged Near with my elbow. I could tell he was still incredibly apprehensive about this whole trip, his body language practically screamed it.

"I'm sure it'll be fun, just loosen up a bit." I said candidly. "Hang out with Mello when he and Matt go out, I know we'll hardly see them at all during our stay." Near shot me a baleful look that would have made most people shrink back.

"You know Mello and I abhor each other." He said callously. I held my hands up in surrender.

"Hey, he might be more willing to make nice for these few days, who knows." Near didn't say anything after that, but continued up the ramp and into the ship, murmuring to Nui-chan. I rolled my eyes. That kid would never change. If he and Mello would just give up this petty enmity, all of our lives would be so much simpler. But the two of them could hold a grudge until hell froze over so that would never happen. This trip might be just what we needed. I could tell that things had been getting sort of overwrought in the house, Mello was twice as pissy, Near's stony silences making dinners so awkward that, as platitudinous as it sounded, you could the atmosphere with a butter knife. B was being B, and Matt wasn't doing anything to help the situation one way or the other. All in all, it was getting stifling in that house; maybe this trip would give us a chance to take a hiatus from… well each other. I looked up suddenly and gasped. I had been lost in my thought for so long that I didn't realize that I had walked right into the ship. The interior was just as magnificent as the exterior.

The high dome ceiling was speckled with stained glass, the setting sun casting it in brilliant ultramarines, ivories, and amethyst around the spacious lobby. I gazed at it, awestruck, and then allowed my gaze to drift over the three stories of white plaster walls and warm-looking cherry wood paneling, until I noticed that the floor, possibly, was more worthy of my amazement than even the magnificent ceiling.

It was a mosaic, enormous, and it put the ceiling to shame. Each individual tile was tiny, perfectly fitted to form an exquisite ocean scene . Coral and other assorted aquatic vegetation dripped from every corner, various fish and marine animals half-hidden with a superfluous attention to detail in emeralds and indigos, soft coral pinks and yellows. An achingly beautiful mermaid, her startlingly realistic chestnut hair tastefully covering her torso stood in the middle of the room, her fish-like tail curled to the side as she sat upon an undersea rock, using a silver brush to brush her hair. Next to her was a kraken. Its long tentacles reaching out in all directions, lurking precariously close to the mermaid who remained oblivious to its ominous presence. Its his mouth was open in such a way that his insidiousness was unmistakable, and I caught sight of a word in what appeared to be Latin, written artfully in small tiles.

"Paenitemini, prope finem." I murmured in flawless enunciation. "Repent, the end is nigh." Odd thing to write on a cruise ship. My eyes were locked with the mosaic's beauty; I couldn't tear my eyes away while I kept walking blindly straight ahead. I was utterly unaware of the fact that there was a discarded banana peel lying in my path until I felt my feet being jerked from under me, plummeting to the tiles backward at an alarming rate. I gasped as I felt myself being caught, my body inches from the ground. My eyes opened to the most stunning sight I had ever seen. There he was.

He was like some bronzed Adonis. His caramel skin practically sparkling with the setting sunlight that filtered through the skylight, forming an angelic halo above his head. His chestnut hair framed his face like the most precious painting in a prestigious museum. I could smell the slight fragrance of vanilla and cinnamon wafting from that faultless hair. It caressed my senses and was hands down my new favorite scent, almost even more than strawberries. His face was almost immaculate, from his mahogany eyes, to his perfectly angular nose, down to his plump rosy pink lips. His strong arms were supporting my head and torso, and I could feel that I was resting on my back on his knee. Suddenly this pulchritudinous man's lips curved upward into a soft smile.

"Are you alright?" the man spoke, his voice was silken honey. I swore an angel just died. No… that seraph is right here, holding me in his arms. My throat unexpectedly felt dry as cotton, and I didn't trust my voice to speak. I just barely managed a diminutive nod, the rest of my body absolutely frozen. The man's smile widened, revealing 2 rows of flawless white teeth. His halo grew larger and the dust floating in the air around us began to glitter like a million shards of diamonds. The man spoke again.

"That's good. I would hate for any harm to come to that cute face of yours." Something in the back of my mind screamed and abruptly fainted and an unfamiliar heat spread across my face, a blush perhaps? He hoisted himself to his feet, gracefully bringing me alone with him into a standing position. My now jello-like legs could hardly support me and he sensed his, supporting me by my elbows.

"Whoa there, that was almost a nasty fall. You should watch where you walk from now on alright?" his voice was delicate and soft, not reprimanding or accusing in any way. It was as if he was a parent comforting his child when it fell and got a cut. Just a gentle reminder to always tie their shoes before running out to play. Once again, I nodded numbly, my eyes locked on his face.

"What is your name?" he asked, relaxed. Something in me finally snapped, breaking the spell this man held over me like a sword. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head.

"L," I replied, my voice wavering in the slightest, "L Lawliet. And you?" I blinked at the man's face and realized that he seemed a bit younger than I had initially deduced, no less than 20 years of age though. He smiled.

"Light Yagami." That was easily my new favorite name. It echoed in my head as I tried to preserve the sound of his voice, committing it to memory. Light ran a hand through his perfect hair, letting it fall in layers around his face. He turned to something beside him and reached down to pick it up. It was his own carry-on. He slung it neatly over his shoulder.

"Well it looks like we're both passengers on this cruise, I'm sure our paths will cross again." his voice lulled me into a sense of calm and he leaned forward, cupping my chin in his hand, his face now inches from my own. There went that damned heat on my face again. My cheeks flamed cerise as I had nowhere else to look except for those effortlessly smoldering mahogany eyes. Not that I wanted to look anywhere else at that moment. My breath was caught in my throat and my lungs refused to take in anymore air in this man's presence. I could feel Light's soft breath on my lips and they trembled. I faintly wondered how I had been reduced to acting like some girlish invalid who was unable to form a coherent sentence around this man.

"I-I'm sure our paths will cross in the near future. Thank you for… catching me." I murmured dumbly. I'd kick myself for not sounding eloquent. Light chuckled, dismissing me with a wave of one perfectly manicured hand.

"Think nothing of it. Now if you will excuse me, I must be going." He tweaked my nose lightly, playfully, and turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder once more.

"Nice meeting you, Lawliet." Light winked and something in me died happily right then. I barely managed a lucid goodbye as he disappeared around a corner, most likely to an elevator. I was left in a blissful daze, blinking and wondering if what just happened really happened. I had been touched by a divine god. Wherever his fingers touched me: My nose, my chin, the back of my neck, all had goosebumps on the rise. Maybe I was being a bit theatrical but the feelings were still there. My mind was as malleable as clay, only capable to form one clear thought.

_Wow…he has a nice ass._

_

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_**A/N: Heh I couldn't help myself with that ending XD yeah L I realize sounds a bit OOC and girly but it'll change, he just met Light after all, and not exactly in a situation that makes conversation easy. And now that I think of it, Light does seem like a creeper/sex offender, aristocracy-on-holiday type guy, but that too might change, I was trying to give him more of an untouchable god-like airs about him. When he and L actually start talking, that narcissism will start to shine through his façade I promise! Well until next time, there's that awesome little button that says review, clicking it (and actually reviewing) would be much appreciated! Adieu! ^_^**


	3. Why Do These Things Always Happen to Me?

**The things I do for you people *shakes head and sighs* I was writing this earlier today during my English class and I got in trouble because we were supposed to be reading Romeo and Juliet (which I find to be insufferably boring by the way, I'm sorry for all those who like it) and my teacher was walking around and made me read this. IN FRONT OF THE FUCKING CLASS. But some people actually liked it (DN yaoi fans which made me happy :D) but the rest of the class was like O.o….*awkward coughing* Meh yeah I was thoroughly embarrassed. OH! Yeah um please don't get mad at me but I kinda want to change this to a LightxL story. It would make it so much easier for me to write ^_^;; I'm going to try to avoid making L girly as I see in most LightxL fanfics and if you see L getting to girly and weak, by all means TELL ME PLEASE! This story is for YOU and I don't want to make a story you don't like! Alright that should be good, I don't want to start complaining and stuff so on with the chapter!**

****And I forgot to mention (you probably won't care but I thought I might tell you anyway), the name for Near's bear Nui-chan is just an abbreviation of the Japanese word for bear being nuigurumi. Or at least I think that's what it translates to. It might be stuffed animal or animal or bear or something along those lines. But yeah there you go. Enjoy the chappy!**

*****READ THIS PLEASE, SORRY I KNOW I SAID ABOVE WOULD BE THE LAST INTERUPTIONBUT THIS IS IMPORTANT!*****

**So yeah I got in trouble for getting a B on my report card so I have been kicked off the computer for the rest of the year *sob sob* BUT! Being the crafty girl I am, I'm going to be sneaking on the computer at night to write fanfiction for you guys. I'm doing this, risking getting my ass whooped for ya'll so yeah be thankful! Even so, my updates will be spaced out by quite a bit so be patient with me please! Until I get my full privileges back, enjoy this, I will update ASAP!**

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I felt an arm hook around my neck and I turned my head languidly to stare right into Mello's sharp cerulean eyes. He let out a low whistle.

"Whoa-ho-ho, who was that?" he asked, hanging over my shoulder. I heard him mutter something about that man having a nice ass and I felt myself smirk at that underhanded comment.

"His name is…Light Yagami." I said, letting my limbs melt from the same sense trance Light had put me under. I rolled my shoulders and pried Mello's arm from my neck on account of the fact that I was starting to choke. He stepped away from me, planting his hands on his hips in a way that would have made me sputter out laughing if I knew he wouldn't attempt to kick my ass. Keyword: attempt. I blinked as he pointed a finger at me, a knowing smirk on his face.

"You like him, don't you?" he exclaimed in a way that only Mello could. I growled under my breath. Damn him and his fair assessments. I put on my best blasé poker face, that same blank look that was guilty of making many people squirm uncomfortably, and stuffed my hands in my pockets.

"I haven't the slightest notion of what you're going on about." I said in my monotone voice. It manner of speaking that I had cultivated since I was a young child. Bored laced with slight curiosity, but primarily bored and jaded. Unfortunately Mello, who had been living with me for most of his life, could see straight through my fascia.

"Yeah right," he snorted, rolling his eyes, "don't give me that bullshit." Damn him and his uncanny ability to read all the way through my mask.

"I saw that whole little performance a few minutes ago." He gestured with his fingers to the spot of the mosaic where it all happened. Surprisingly, the banana peel was nowhere to be found. Weird. Mello continued talking. "All I have to say is dude, you need to man up. You were like putty in his hands fingers. I mean sure it was definitely interesting to watch, but if you don't want to be the uke, stop being a fucking girl!" My eyelid twitched faintly at his words. Putty? Uke? GIRL? I huffed. And who am I supposed to use as a manly guide? Mello? He wears feathers on a daily basis for Christ's sake! I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing.

"Right, Mello, right." I said, just agreeing with what he said and gathered my neglected carry-on from a few feet away. When I fell, I had been flailing my arms somewhat and the bag went flew away from me on its own accord. I hitched the backpack over my shoulder, marching towards the golden elevators that led to the part of the ship the rooms were presumably held. Mello easily kept pace with me , chattering about something that I was blatantly ignoring. I pressed the button and the doors slid open, Mello and I clambered inside along with a few strangling passengers. Since I wasn't at the check-in, Mello pressed for the correct floor and the elevator began its smooth descent upwards our destination. I vaguely wondered how much effort it would take to lock Mello inside the elevator while I ran away. Then I remembered that I had no idea where our room was and quickly decided against it. We reached our floor and swiftly exited, being in cramped spaces made me nervous. The crisp cobalt carpet was soft under my feet (I had taken my shoes off in the elevator, making me pleased when I saw other people's faces of disgust) as we passed room after room. I could hear Mello counting as we walked.

"111…112…113b. Here it is." he said, pleased with himself as he used the plastic card given at the reception desk to unlock the door. We stepped in and were first met with B's boxer clad butt. Not the best sight I've ever witnessed in my life. Mello took the chance to slap B's ass as he walked by the raven haired man to flop down on one of the 2 queen beds provided in the lavishly decorated room. B yelped softly but otherwise didn't seem too affected by it. This happens on a regular basis mind you, but I'm still not used to it. I glanced around the room, examining my surroundings.

The same dark cherry wood as in the lobby covered the long walls of the room. Golden patterns covered the crown molding, its curled and swirling patterns licked at the ceiling. A small flat screen was mounted on the wall opposite the beds, its screen flickering as Mello surfed through the channels. The 2 queen beds looked very comfortable, the thick fresh comforters and throw pillows adorning it. In contrast to the dark room, the beds were a soft off-white. It looked a bit odd with all the dark colors, but I found it sort of relaxing, like it was a bright sanctuary in the sea of obscurity. Or something like that. I averted my eyes from the room's interior to B who was (thankfully) fully clothed. Slightly baggy skinny jeans, vans, and a thin hoodie. Typical BB. I nodded to him.

"Where are you headed?" I asked, moving to sit by Mello on the bed. Suspicions confirmed, the bed was extremely soft. B shrugged.

"I'm waiting for Matt to get his slow ass out of the bathroom so we can go check out more of the ship. I heard from some of the passengers that there are actually a few pretty cool clubs here. You should come with us. Near found the spa a while ago when we first arrived and we haven't seen him since. Go figure." A muffled 'shut the fuck up B!' came from the bathroom and B chuckled, shaking his head. I nodded slowly, glancing around the room.

"Where's my suitcase?" I asked and both Mello and B pointed to a very inconspicuous sliding door closet and I quickly rummaged through my bag, looking for something suitable to wear for *ahem* clubbing. Not exactly a word I was used to, but I wasn't about to sit in the room like a loser while everyone else had fun (there goes that 4 letter word again). I pulled out my favorite pair of beat up chuck-taylors and a fresher tee to wear, a comfortable gray v-neck made of Egyptian cotton. Yeah. _Soft_. I rolled my eyes at the low cat-calls that came from my 'audience' as I stripped my current white shirt off and replaced it with said v-neck. Lacing up my converse and barging into the bathroom to check my hair, (delightfully messy—my signature look) I was ready to go. Matt was on the toilet as I walked in and I hurled a few hand towels at me, cursing as he covered himself and wiped at the same time, yanking his pants up. Matt had always had a thing about keeping the door shut and keeping people out while he was doing his *ahem* business, but I barged in just for that reason. Pissing people off was also among my various specialties along with detective work. I smirked as I made my way out of the washroom, Matt following, and his face twisted in a scowl. Mello was laughing as he trotted over to his boyfriend, slipping an arm around Matt's waist. He used the other to smooth out the wrinkled skin on his forehead.

"Don't frown Matty," Mello smiled sweetly, using his pet name for the redhead, "it's not becoming of you." Matt's lips immediately turned up in the slightest, rolling his eyes through his orange tinted goggles. He could never remain mad at the blond for long, no one could. With that, we filed out of our room in search of some higher entertainment.

Plenty of strange looks and 15 minutes later, we eventually stumbled across a club called The Note Blue. True to its name, the club was bathed in deep azure light. Outlines of fish and dolphins sailed across the dance floor with the disco lights which were—of course—blue. There was an open bar swarmed with men and women alike. A few feet from said bar were a cluster of tables that were sat rather close to the ground, along with a couple regular sized booths. Like in the rooms, the tables contrasted with the rest of the room, being a clean sterile ivory white. There went that sanctuary bit again. The music in the club pulsated in my chest comfortably, the speakers playing some slower yet very danceable song that I didn't recognize. I watched as Mello grabbed Matt's hand and led him to the dance floor, they disappeared amongst the many dancers without another word to B and me. I was still looking around when I felt B nudge me I the ribs with his elbow.

"Come on, let's go hit the bar." He winked, slithering through the crowd without seeing if I was following. As I might have mentioned, I'm not much of a drinker, but I though I might as well follow the advice I gave to Near earlier and loosen up. Me and my big mouth.

At the bar (after I had to shamefully dance my way through the crowd to get to it) I spotted B immediately and sat at one of the tall—surprise, surprise—blue stain glass bar stools seated beside him. He had two shot glasses in his hand, filled with some clear looking liquid. Water perhaps? He offered me one of the glasses, along with some words I couldn't hear over the sound of the music in the club. The shot glass felt cool in my palm and I peered into the small cup. A very small, blue version of me was staring back at me. Same obsidian eyes, same pallid skin, same onyx hair. Sameness was stifling. Boring. Dull. Day in and day out, I follow roughly the same schedule with slight variations. Wake up, take a shower. Go downstairs, eat breakfast (cake) and head to work at around 8:45. Work, work, work, come home at around 11, have some dinner (cake or pie depending on what hadn't been eaten that day), perhaps watch a little TV or read one of the many novels I have read before and stay up until about 2am, have a snack (once again, more cake or ice cream, I'm hypoglycemic don't judge me!). Then go to bed at around 3 or 4, sleep for a few hours and repeat the cycle all over again the next day. I work because I know we need the money. It's not the highest paying job, working for a local police station, but it paid the bills. I felt as if I was a rat running in a wheel. Same thing almost everyday, save for the weekends, but really, 2 days? Come on. I needed something new. Something different. Something to break the cycle. Suddenly, Light's voice echoed in my head.

_I'm sure our paths will cross again…_

My brow furrowed, my brain digesting these words. Did that mean he would come and find me? Meet me again? Hopefully not in the same way we first met. If by some strange fortuity we did meet again, I wouldn't be the helpless little girl that I'm sure he thinks I am, I'd be the flawlessly eloquent jackass that everyone knew I was. Yes that's it, I—

"Hey, L, you gonna drink that?" B was looking at me expectantly and I nodded, quickly raising the glass to my lips and tipping my head back, allowing the foreign fluid shoot down my throat as I had seen many people do in the past. Bad idea. My taste buds exploded upon contact with the bitter flavor and my throat felt as if it was on fire as I sputtered painfully. B's strong hand pounded on my back (which if anything made the situation worse) until I stopped choking.

"Jeez, you act like this is the first time you've ever had vodka!" He laughed as my eyes bugged out.

"Vod—ka?" I choked out. B laughed harder and I wanted to smack him in the face so badly but my vision was beginning to blur.

"Yeah, and this shit was strong," B said, his laughter dying down, "I didn't think you'd drink it all like that." He shrugged and I looked at his own unfinished glass. My eyelid twitched as the room started to move a little and I used the bar counter to steady myself before I fell off my stool. How could I be drunk already? Did alcohol usually work this quickly? Dear God, please don't let me make a fool of myself tonight…

Apparently, my prayer fell on deaf ears. Before I knew it, I had unsteadily hopped off my stool and had found myself in the middle of the dance floor. I felt myself start dancing in some strange arm-flailing gyrating move, it was extremely awkward and jerky, but people began to clear a circle around me, cheering me on. It was as if my brain was fully functioning but o had zero control of my body. All I could do was watch on as a horrified spectator. This dance related humiliation lasted for a few minutes until the alcohol really began to make its way through my system. The next half hour consisted of me chatting up random strangers (a few women and getting their numbers somehow…) and even getting on the karaoke machine to sing 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion. Out of tune and proud of it damn it! I bowed, graciously accepting the cheers and whistles I earned. All the while, my brain kept face-palming (more like face-desking) at my continuing stupidity. After a while, I felt myself calming down a bit and I was able to get back a thread of control on my body, enough to start lumbering back towards B. B, of course, wasn't doing anything to help the situation one way or the other, trying to suppress the erupting laughter that threatened to escape his trembling lips. I braced my hands against his shoulders.

"Can w-we go back to the room? I think I need to sleep…for a week." My words were slurred slightly. Just slightly. B chuckled and I just noticed the woman that wrapped one of his arms around. From what I could tell, she was a busty blond, blue eyes, wearing an extremely short black dress. I didn't feel like conversing with her so I didn't say anything.

"Sorry dude," B said, kissing the woman's neck, making me raise an eyebrow, "you're gonna have to find your own way back to the room. I'm going to be…busy for a while." I glared at him for a moment before straightening myself out. I squashed down my scoff of disgust as the woman/girl/however old she was giggle as B nipped her neck and scowled.

"Fine then. I'll find my own damn way back." I grumbled, the alcohol even affecting my ability to remain apathetic. I glanced languidly at the digital clock mounted on the wall behind the idle bartender. Only 11:00pm. Still, I couldn't stand to stay here another minute. I turned to leave, slithering clumsily through the throngs of club goers. I managed to spot Matt and Mello who were, not to my surprise, were making out heavily in one of the many secluded booths. I huffed, blindly pushing open the doors to the club in search of some fresher sea air. I stepped out and immediately ran smack dab into the one person I didn't want to see while inebriated. Light Yagami.

Oh. Shit.

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**A/N: So there you go to tide you over, hope you liked it! If I had more time I would have extended it but I don't have much time on the computer (with having to sneak on at 1am to write and all) so once again, be patient! Ok gotta go R&R please! ^_^**


	4. Quick Author's Note

Yarg. I've been getting messages saying I should change the story back to an LxLight. Should I really? How many people actually wouldn't mind me changing it to LightxL? It would really make it easier on me (not that I'm trying to be lazy but it would flow much easier writing wise) and it just makes more sense if you really think about it. I really don't want you guys to stop reading just because I change it to LightxL, if you're going to stop reading at least do it because the story sucks. Anyway, if you REALLY want me to change it back to LxLight and if I get enough comments asking me to change (that does not mean to spam me with comments pleeeeaase) then…reluctantly…I will. Leave a comment with your opinion if you wish. Ok, that's all I have to say, see you guys later!

~Lawlietfan347


	5. Awkward Turtle Time

**I'm back with another chapter! Thanks for the helpful reviews from some of you; I am definitely going to keep it as LightxL. Sorry all you die hard LxLight fans, but I'm changing it. If you are dissatisfied, I'm sorry; it's my story after all right? :/ Hmm… *trying to remember if there was anything I needed to say* nope, I think I covered all the bases for this little note. Once again, I'm sorry the change I upset some of you. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Warnings: A liiiiiitle bit of lime thrown in there, doesn't last long though, promise XD and some language, but that's going to be a standard for my chapters. **

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Light's face was as surprised as mine was and I saw recognition translate across his face as his look of shock relaxed into a friendly smile.

"Oh hey, Lawliet, I didn't expect to see you here." He said. I felt all my alcohol laden blood shoot down to my toes. Fuck! He's going to see me, practically drunk. So much for a good second impression.

"Y-yeah, hi Light. What brings you here?" The vodka affected my speech to where Light could definitely hear the difference. Light chuckled and gestured to the club's entrance.

"I'm meeting my fiancé here, she should be inside already…" he checked the leather watch on his wrist and I felt a crack in my chest. My heart made a little 'meep' sound as it sunk to the bottom of my ribcage. Some strange feeling pierced my heart in a way that made it ache painfully. What was that feeling? Hurt, disappointment, and the tiniest tendril of…jealousy? I didn't exactly know the emotions well enough to be sure, but it wasn't a comfortable or pleasant feeling. Of course, being the master of disguise, I put on the mask I was well acquainted with.

" Oh, that's nice." I said, avoiding as much eye contact as possible. "I won't keep you then, enjoy you're night, see you later." To my consternation, my voice cracked on the last word and I tried (and failed) to work up a half-hearted chuckle to veil it. Light tilted his head, as if he knew something was wrong, but he didn't comment on it. I was too disgruntled to make the thought that he looked like an adorable puppy when he cocked his head, those chocolate eyes boring into mine. Beautiful, mysterious, warm, enticing…

"Lawliet, are you alright? You're staring off into space. You're not falling for me are you?" he winked playfully and waggled his pointer finger in my face. I blinked rapidly, my eyes widening. I shook my head, scowling.

"No way." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and still not making eye contact. The worse thing was that he was 100% right, and I hate being wrong. I had fallen for him, hard. Way harder than I should have. Damn, these feelings are getting harder and harder to hide. With not much more to say, and an awkward silence smothering us, Light decided to flash me his heart-stopping grin.

"Right, then, I'll see you later?" I couldn't help the grin that stretched across my face at the question I was faced with. Thanks to the alcohol, it most likely came out as a grimace. Suddenly as if things couldn't get anymore maladroit than they already were, an unexpected hiccup escaped my lips. It was loud and crude, and very, very, drunk sounding. I clamped my hand over my mouth, an embarrassed blush spreading across my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, ex—cuse me." _Shit, the vodka is circulating back up to my brain…_My vision was beginning to haze again; I was starting to see 3 Lights, all of them different colors. Light's face went from jocular to concerned in a split second.

"Are you sure you're ok? You look a tad ill and your cheeks are flushed." He laid the back of his hand on my forehead and the blush darkened. I could feel my brain function start to dwindle and time suddenly began to slow around me.

"No, I'm fi…ne.." I slurred softly. The world started spinning faintly and my legs couldn't support me all of a sudden. _Damn it, what's going on, why can't I control my body…?_ I felt myself hiccup again but before I could do anything about it, blackness was starting to claw at the edges of my vision.

_What the hell…is...happening?...I can't…trying to stay…alert...failing… _At that point, I lost consciousness.

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_Lawliet….Lawliet!_ Light's voice echoed in my head. He sounded far away and his voice was warped like he was in a pool filled with jello. I felt myself go back into that bizarre state where my subconscious was fully aware of what was going on, but my brain and body were functioning (or not functioning at all) on their own. I felt my body being tentatively lifted off the deck and into the air. Was Light…carrying me? I must have collapsed on the deck in front of Light_. _

_Dear God, he must think I'm some sort of freaky invalid. Please just don't let my unconscious body do anything stupid…_

I had a habit of sleepwalking and sleeptalking. And let me tell you the things I say and/or do during those unfortunate periods contradict anything I would ever do in my right mind. Ever. So much so that I don't even want to talk about it. My eyes stayed shut, my head lolling back because the muscles in my neck refused to support it. My body swayed back and forth with Light's footsteps, it was much more soothing than the rocking of the boat. I heard him murmur something in my unconscious ear, but I couldn't really understand what he was saying. After a few minutes of walking by body finally stirred slightly and by subconscious was reigned back in. I opened my eyes groggily, Light's concerned and god-like face looking down at me.

"You're awake? That's a relief." He smiled softly and I couldn't help the weak smile that stretched across my lips. His smile was extremely contagious. My head was pounding and I couldn't think or see straight, and focusing my eyes made it worse. Light spoke again, his voice gentle and coaxing. "Where is your room?"

"113b." I countered immediately. My pride wouldn't allow me to be forgetful. Light made a soft grunt of acknowledgement as we stopped moving and approached the room I was staying in along with my 'brothers'.

"I'm going to need your card to get in; do you have one with you?" He murmured. I nodded weakly, digging through my front pocket for the small plastic door key. Light swiftly took the card and opened the door, while miraculously holding me in one arm. Once inside, he finally let me down onto my feet. My legs were still unsteady so I had to (embarrassingly) cling onto Light's forearm before I was guided to my bed. Luckily everyone else was still gone; they would never let me forget this awkward night. I climbed into bed sleepily, and still fully clothed, my brain wanting to crash but sheer willpower kept me awake. Light helped with tucking me in, pulling the plush covers up to my chin. I vaguely wondered why he was helping me, I hardly knew him and he hardly knew me.

"There you go; you need to get some rest to assist in counteracting the alcohol in your system. You're obviously not much of a drinker; most people would know their limit before getting completely intoxicated. I'll set some water on the nightstand for when you wake back up, drink all of it." There wasn't a chance that I would refuse this information, he seemed quite knowledgeable after all. I nodded slowly and Light smiled again. "Right," he said, "well I'll see you later." He reached over the bed to brush a few stray strands of hair from my clammy forehead. "Sleep well, Lawliet." Light whispered. His touch invited an odd warm feeling to seep through my limbs, relaxing all the muscles in my body. I frowned, reaching out to clutch onto the fabric of Light's jacket.

"Stay with me. 'Till I fall asleep okay?" I mumbled. "If I fall asleep alone, I'm afraid I'll have that dream again…" The words coming out of my mouth were not what I intended. It was supposed to be a simple 'thanks for everything Light', but no. My mouth just wouldn't allow me to keep even the tiniest morsel of dignity. Damn. Light's eyes widened almost indiscernibly but nevertheless, he turned back to the bed, kneeling in front of me. He took my hand into his, enveloping it in the same warmth that trickled through my body. After a few silent minutes of him scrutinizing the room and looking at everything _but _me, his gaze finally found my eyes.

"You're different than anyone I've ever met, Lawliet." He murmured, absentmindedly smoothing the skin on my palm with his thumb. "Even though we just met, I can't help but feel like we have some weird…connection. I feel so cheesy for saying that, it sounds like something from some chick-flick. I couldn't…get you out of my mind all day. I've never felt this way about anyone in my life, but I feel like you're someone that I really want to get to know. I—" Before I could stop myself, I sat up in by bed, capturing Light's lips with my own. I wrapped my arms around his neck, stroking his perfect hair. At first I wondered if I had done something wrong and I was waiting for Light to shove me away and start yelling and storm out of the room, but it didn't happen. Light was frozen for a few seconds before hesitantly reaching around my back to pulling me into an embrace. He began to kiss back and for the second time in 2 days, something in me died and went to heaven. Soon, Light's tongue licked at my lip, begging for entrance. I easily opened my mouth, letting his tongue hungrily explore every corner of it. My taste buds exploded at the essence of, well, Light. Vanilla and cinnamon mixed with a very natural yet alluring 'Light' taste welcomed me. It brought me back to when we first met on the mosaic, it was the distinctive scent that wafted around him and it made my mouth water. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my throat when Light's hand snaked up my shirt, stroking my back. Light chuckled through the kiss, drawing random patterns on my skin.

Something in my brain was yelling and screaming at me to stop this at once. Everything I had been working for, the image I was projecting to the world; that jaded, uncaring, narcissistic, sweets-loving bastard façade that everyone knew me as was crumbling by the second. If I didn't take control of this soon, I might end up actually developing…feelings. And we wouldn't want L Lawliet to possess emotion now would we?

I was brought back out of my thoughts when I felt Light's hand drift down to the waistband of my jeans. I blinked as his lips moved from my mouth, down to my jaw line, and stop at my neck. They sucked and nipped on the vulnerable flesh there. I gasped softly, as his hand dipped into my pants, lightly cupping my hardening length. My hips involuntarily thrust upwards and Light chuckled softly, using his palm to knead small circles in my groin, which in turn made me yelp. Pleasure rolled through my body as I let my head roll back and rest on the pillow behind me. I had never felt anything like this in my life; I had never known there was such overwhelming bliss such as this. While his hands worked magic on my body, Light ended up somehow climbing into bed with me, effortlessly slipping under the sheets. I took the chance to quickly remove his jacket and shirt, attacking the golden flesh with warm, wet kisses. I ran my hands over his contoured chest, trying to commit the feeling of his skin under my fingers to memory. One of Light's hands found its way to my chin, guiding my mouth to his as he captured them in a surprisingly passionate kiss. When he pulled away, our eyes locked together and I froze. Something, some emotion was swimming in those mahogany depths, something that I didn't understand. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was demonstrative and kind and everything that I had never seen directed towards me in my life. I felt my heart give a little unexpected squeeze.

"Lawliet, I think that…that I lo—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door burst open and two figures crashed through the doorway. I shot up out of bed so rapidly that Light was almost knocked onto the floor if he hadn't already scrambled away from me, quickly snatch his shirt back on. The two figures fell to the floor, one on top of the other as I jumped out of bed to flick the light on the nightstand. I gasped as I was met by the sight of…B and some strange woman?

"B?" I spat, blinking. He looked up at me, not exactly surprised and he winked.

"L! Seems you've hooked one yourself?" My eyelid twitched as I glanced over at Light's face. His expression was one of absolute shock as he gaped at the woman B had his arms wrapped around. It was the same blond woman B had with him when I left the bar a while ago.

"M-Misa?" Light choked out. The woman almost screamed as she clumsily jumped to her feet, yanking her dress down, concealing her underwear. She was obviously tipsy, a blank glazed look in her eyes. Either that or she was just a stupid girl.

"Light, darling! W-what a surprise!" she squeaked out, her voice shrill and vociferous, contrary to Light's silken honey tone. Easily the most infuriating voice I had ever heard. Her hand fluttered to her neck as she tried to hide the purple bruise forming on her neck. B was already on his feet, lazily leaning against the doorframe, one of his many jars of jam in hand. He smirked at me and at that moment, I wanted to choke him to death and throw his body over the ship to get eaten by sharks and whatever else might be in the ocean's depths. Just then, something in my mind clicked. Was this woman the fiancé Light was supposed to meet? And she just fell through the door, making out with B. And Light and I had come close to… Oh. My. God. And here we all were flustered and embarrassed (save for B) in the same room. Time to whip out the awkward turtle, my life just got that much more complicated.

Whoop de-fucking-do.

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**A/N: Heh heh and it all just goes downhill from there. Yeah I don't know why I brought Misa into this, but I'm just gonna see where this takes me, I'm totally winging this story, but I think it's turning out half way decent what do you guys think? Anyway, sorry for this one being a bit on the short side, as I explained, I don't get much time on the computer. I can, however, get on if I tell my dad it's for school. 7 times out of 10 it'll be for fanfiction, so I might be able to update soon, depending on how many reviews I get. I'll finish the story no matter how many people read it, but I do like encouragement, it's much appreciated ^_^ ok gotta go, hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. You Wouldn't Dare

**Hey, another chapter up, this kind of sets the mood for the 'Titanic' element, I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what part soon enough. Umm nothing big, just a little bit of language, nothing other than that I'm sure. Enjoy!**

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We stood there, all frozen to the spot. My eyes darted around to everyone's faces. Light's one of shock and betrayal mirrored Misa's who was slightly more tipsy. I kept my mouth shut and shot daggers at B to not say a word. After what seemed like an eternity, Light finally spoke.

"Misa, what are you doing with him?" he said. I could tell he was trying to keep his voice controlled, a small vain popping out on his neck. The woman known as Misa scowled slightly, planting her hands on her hips. Oh snap. She walked a little closer to me, standing about 3 feet away.

"I could say the same about you, Light, what are you doing with him?" she spat, jabbing a finger in my chest painfully. I winced; her skinny fingers were exceptionally strong. I cleared my throat as if to speak in my defense but Misa shot me a withering look and I decided against it. Light let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. I could see that he was desperately trying not to slap Misa's hand away from my chest.

"Look," he said closing his eyes, "I think we're all at fault here. I think the best thing at this point is for us to leave and forget this night ever happened ok?" I felt a pang in my chest as his words. _Forget this ever happened? But…_ Misa nodded and regained her composure, finally removing her finger from my chest. As she was adjusting her dress, Light was gathering his jacket and straightening his hair quickly before starting towards the door. He turned back to me and I thought I saw a gleam of regret in his eyes. It faded away as he nodded curtly.

"Lawliet." He said as he pushed his way past B and disappeared out the door, Misa following suit without a word. B kicked the door shut with his foot and I couldn't do anything but stand rooted where I stood, shocked, bewildered, and a bit hurt. B chuckled, scratching his head.

"Well, this has been a rather eventful night eh?" If looks could kill, B would be 6 feet under already.

"B, you ruin everything." I growled matter-of-factly. B, of course, was unaffected as he grinned in the only way B could.

"Well, you know, I try." He said, scooping a grotesque amount of jam onto his finger. I absolutely hated how B always took everything so casually! Did he not realize what he just ruined? No, ruined wasn't the right phrase, more like crushed to dust. Who knows what this night could have led to? Now I'll never know. Yeah, thanks a lot B. Not being able to stay in the same room with B for the second time that night, I grabbed a jacket from my suitcase, pushed past B, and stalked out the door.

I walked aimlessly around the ship, well no; I was storming around the ship. My feet deliberately pounded on the ground harder than necessary, my arms crossed over my chest. I had a slight scowl on my face, the kind that made my nose wrinkle in a way that had been described as *ahem* adorable apparently. One could say I was acting childish but I was upset! Number 1 was because I was mad at b for obvious reasons, and number 2, I was angry with Light. He had a _fiancé _for Pete's sake; why in the world would he be with me, almost having sex? Or anything even remotely close to that? But I wasn't completely blameless either. I knew he had a fiancé, I knew he was engaged, and yet I…

I looked up, finally seeing where I ended up. I had been ranting in my head for so long that I wasn't looking where I was going. Geez that seemed to be happening a lot lately. I didn't know exactly where I was but I had come outside the ship, on one of the many open decks. Stars speckled the sky like God took a handful of them and sprinkled them across black velvet. A soft sea breeze blew across my face, goosebumps rising on my arms and there was a raised platform about 14 or 15 feet above the lower deck which was, presumably, for the higher paying passengers.

The deck was vacant (on account of it being almost 2am) and I spotted a glossy wooden bench rather close to the railing overlooking the ocean. It was incredibly inviting so I padded over to it, taking a seat in my signature crouch. It's funny; there really isn't a reason for the way I sit. Whenever I get questioned about it, I spout out some bullshit that is raises my deductive reasoning skills by 40%. In truth, I do it simply because it's comfortable.

Settled on the bench, I just sat and thought. Not about anything in particular, just letting thoughts tumble over each other. Light's face and voice made their way into my mind on more than one occasion. After a few pleasant minutes of mentally working out differential equations, I string of curses broke my silence. My eyes widened slightly at the fact that it was Light storming down the stairs from the upper deck. His face was twisted in aggravation and just plain anger. I noticed a red blotch of the side of his cheek. My guess was that, judging by his disgruntled manner, he had gotten into a fight with Misa and she ended up slapping him. It must have been a pretty bad fight for him to be out here so livid. He didn't see me but I decided not to interfere. My little bench was shrouded (thankfully) by shadows so Light couldn't see me as I watched on as a spectator. He walked over to the railing, clutching the bar in one hand while he ran the other through his hair. I could hear him start to talk to himself but I couldn't make out anything important. For some reason I found myself wanting to creep back to my room and forget I saw everything. Comforting people makes me nervous. I have been called apathetic when dealing with delicate things like feelings, which is one of the many reasons why I didn't become a doctor or a shrink. I was just about to get off my bench when I saw Light swing one leg over the railing.

_No…_

"No!" I shouted, sprinting over to where Light was standing. He had already gotten his body over the side, clutching the bar behind his back. "What the hell are you doing?" I almost shouted in his face, my voice shooting up an octave. Light slowly swung his head around to face me.

"I'm not the person you think I am, L. I'm not perfect, I'm not a deity. I know I sound childish, selfish even but…I can't…" his voice tapered off into nothing as I just stared at him, my eyes silently pleading for him to come to his senses. His eyes were dull, defeated, and slightly glazed over with…tears? What… happened to him? This wasn't because of the fight he had with Misa, this was something different. Something in him must have been building up and up and up for him to get into this situation. This just proved how little I knew about Light.

I let out a sigh, my detective instincts kicking in. I've dealt with many suicidal criminals in the past and I knew how to talk someone off a ledge. Here we go.

"Do you really want to jump Light? Really?" I murmured. His eyes flickered with uncertainty for just a moment and I let out a deep breath, slowly, slowly extending my open hand towards him. "Take my hand. I'll pull you back in."

"No!" Light said quickly. "Stay where you are, L." I shrugged, putting on a mask of feigned indifference. In truth, I was terrified for him.

"You won't jump." I said simply. His eyes flashed with indignation at my words.

"What do you mean I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do. Now go away, Lawliet, you're distracting me." Light wiped the tears from his eyes quickly, almost losing his balance. I shook my head, shedding my jacket and kicking off one of my sneakers.

"I can't. I'm involved now. If you let go right now, I'll have no choice but to dive in after you." Light frowned.

"Don't be ridiculous, you'll be killed." I blinked at him, kicking off my other sneaker.

"I'm a good swimmer."

"The fall alone would kill you." He countered promptly. I nodded, peering over the edge of the boat.

"It would hurt; I'm not saying it wouldn't. But I'm looking down at those colossal propellers below where you're standing. That would be the first thing you hit presuming your body doesn't strike the stern of the ship on the way down. Yep, those propellers would crack every bone in your body. Surely you'd die upon impa—"

"I know what would occur; you don't need to elucidate it to me!" Light said, practically growling. "I'm much more cultured than you'd assume." I nodded slowly, leaning against the railing on my elbows. I looked out at the obsidian ocean, taking in a soft breath through my nose. The sea salt stung in my nose but I ignored it.

"I'm sure you're brilliant, Light. I could tell you were from the first moment I heard you speak. You remember? It was only yesterday after all. You know, I used to criticize the play 'Romeo and Juliet' incessantly. I mean the pair meet each other at a party and know each other for less than 24 hours and then they're betrothed. Not long after, they kill themselves because of some pathetically failed travesty set up by an incompetent friar. Maybe I'm just being a bit calloused but even so. I thought I would never do something so foolish such as give my life to someone I scarcely know. That's one reason I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you." Light just blinked at me then narrowed his eyes.

"You're insane." He hissed. "Romeo and Juliet was a classic, one of the most paramount plays written, by Shakespeare in history." I shrugged, scratching the back of my head absentmindedly.

"Maybe so. But with all due respect, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship." I allowed myself a small cabbage patch victory dance in my head. Score one for Lawliet. "Why don't you come back over the ledge and we can discuss our perspectives over coffee or tea?" I slid a step closer, like moving up on a spooked horse. I extended my hand once more.

"Come on. You don't want to do this Light. Give me your hand." Light stares at me for a while, contemplating his next move. Truth was I probably would have dived in after him if he had leaped. After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.

"Alright." He unfastened one hand from the rail and reached it around toward me. I took it firmly. His soft hand in mine, I don't think I could bear the thought of losing Light. Not now. It's only been a day but I'm in too deep to run away. Light's gaze, his touch, his smile, all of them got under my skin and thrashed all those damn feelings I've kept under lock and key for years to the surface. Light started to turn, deciding then that he wanted to live. Before he could accidentally slip, I used my other arm to wrap around Light's torso and help haul him over the rail carefully. We collapsed to the deck upon getting him safely on the boat, Light on top of me. He was trembling at that point, the realization of what he had almost done crashing down on him. Fresh tears started streaming down his face and I pulled his head down onto my chest, stroking his ruffled hair.

"Shh." I cooed softly into his ear. "It's alright now. You don't need to worry, I'm right here." I wasn't exactly sure what to say, but this seemed to be working because Light's shoulders stopped shaking and he lifted his head up to face me. He smiled weakly and I felt a sharp pang in my heart region.

"I apologize for this embarrassing display." He murmured softly. "I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along. For that, I thank you." I nodded slightly.

"No need to thank me. If you jump, I jump right?" Light chuckled softly in response, resting his head back on my chest. Everything was safe; everything was perfect, until a voice shattered our peace.

"Here, what is all this?"

A guard runs up to us and pulls Light off of me, wrapping him in a towel. He looked at Light's expensive clothing and then looked at me on the ground. The shaggy second-class man with his jacket and shoes off, and a first-class man clearly in distress. Two seamen charged across the deck to join us and at this point, I was honestly scared. Mind you, I was still sprawled out on the ground and these three men were looming over me portentously. One of the seamen grabbed my elbow and yanked me roughly to my feet.

"You stand there and don't move an inch!" he shouted threateningly. The main guard turns to the seamen.

"Fetch Officer Guilford."

* * *

A few minutes later, I was being detained by the burly Officer Guilford, the cop on board. He handcuffed me. Funny because I could have gotten out of those at any moment, escaping from mediocre handcuffs was child's play. To mine and Light's surprise, Misa was right in front of me, furious. She had obviously just rushed out here with two other men, relatives or perhaps more high ranking men on the ship. None of them had coats over their black tie evening clothing. _I hate all these damn rich people… _One of the other men was Soichiro Yagami, Light's father, a mustachioed Japanese diplomat who still had his brandy snifter. He offered it to Light, who was hunched over on a bench nearby, but he waved it away. The other man was a Mr. Terry Ward. He was also stocky and well-built, dressed in a sleek pinstripe suit. Misa was more concerned with me it appeared. She grabs the front of my shirt.

"What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancé? Look at me, commoner, what did you think you were doing?" I decided that now wasn't the time to point out that I had also caught her hooking up with a certain raven-haired 'commoner' not too long ago. And on another note, what right did she have to call me a commoner? Thankfully, before Misa could do me any bodily harm, Light stepped in.

"Misa, stop." He sighed. "It was an accident." We both looked over at Light, dumbfounded.

"An accident?" Misa gaped, incredulous. Light nodded candidly.

"It was…stupid really. I was leaning over and I slipped." Light looked at me, making eye contact. "I was leaning too far over to see the…ah… propellers you see, and I slipped. I would have gone overboard if Mr. Lawliet hadn't saved me." Misa cocked her head to once side.

"You…wanted to see the propellers?" she asked and Light nodded. Officer Guilford, who had been mostly silent until now looked at me, his gaze sharp.

"Was that what happened?" Light was begging me with his eyes not to say what really happened. I nodded hesitantly.

"Uh huh, that was pretty much it." I looked at Light a moment longer. Now we have a secret together.

"Well then it looks like the boy's a hero!" Ward grinned, giving me an extremely brawny slap to the back. "Good for you, well done!" He turned back to Misa.

"I believe everything is sorted out now, how about we all go back inside and enjoy a nice glass of champagne?" I finally was un-cuffed and Light begins to walk away, Misa's arm wrapped around his waist.

"Let's get you inside," I heard Misa say to him, "you must be freezing." And there they were leaving without a second regard to me. I saw Ward lean close to Misa's ear whispering something.

"How about something for the boy?" he said. Misa nodded, turning around to face me.

"Oh, right Mr. Ward, a hundred should do the trick." Light narrowed his eyes imperceptibly and turned to the blond.

"Really? That's all he gets for saving your fiancé?" Only I could hear the slight venom that laced his words. Misa frowned, placing a finger on her lower lip in thought.

"Hmm, what to do…Oh, I know!" she squeaks in that voice that makes me want to dry heave. "Maybe you could join us for dinner tomorrow, to indulge our group about your story?" I was frozen, caught between a rock and a really, really awkward place. My mind was screaming 'no, no don't do it!', but my mouth said:

"Sure, count me in." Damn it. Misa smirked and I wanted to smack the shit out of her so badly right then.

"Good. It's settled, tomorrow night then, 7:30." And with that, they turned to leave, Misa wrapping a protective arm around Light. She leans close to Ward as they all walk away. "This should be amusing." I acted as if I couldn't hear them as I gathered my jacket and shoes, sitting down on the bench to lace up my chuck-taylors. Officer Guilford was the only one that stayed behind, regarding me skeptically.

"Interesting." He said. "He slipped so quickly and yet you had time to take off your jacket and your shoes." Guildford's expression was bland but cold, in a way that made my skin crawl uncomfortably. He finally turned away to escort the group back inside, leaving me freezing, alone, and honestly confused on the open deck. I had the suspicion of 2 people of being some weird molester and now I have to have dinner with them, along with several other rich snobs who probably hate me, a woman that despises me, and the man that I *gulp* love tomorrow evening.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

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**A/N: By the way, Guilford is pronounced gill-ford just in case. Anyway, what'd you think? Hope it wasn't too cheesy. Review and I'll buy everyone a duck. Yeah, a duck. Not really but it'll make me really happy! ^_^ **


	7. Caramel and Cream

**First, let me start by saying I finally got my laptop back! And to celebrate, a new chapter for you guys! This one took me a few hours to do as opposed to a few days of sneaking on my other desktop compy. There's another short lime-y bit that I threw in for ya, if you don't want to read it, skip down past the part in italics (that's the lime-y bit) and just keep on readin'! I'm probably going to sound lame for saying this but I'm so glad people actually read my stories. I mean 45 reviews are the most I've ever gotten, ever. I've seen stories with over 2,000 reviews so that's why I feel lame. I mean, I don't write for reviews (even though they are greatly appreciated and encouraging) I write because I like it and for the hopes that you nice people will like it too. Reviews are just icing on the cake. This is weird because I don't like a lot of icing on my cake. So let's say reviews are chocolate chip in a cookie. You can never have too many! …Ok as you can see, I'm not good at analogies, but it gets my point across. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

***insert disclaimer here***

**Warnings: Language as always, a little lime, and EXTREME CHEESYNESS! Towards the end. Well at least I think it's cheesy. The last chunk in the chapter like oozes cheese, I'm not even kidding, like have a bag of chips to eat up the cheese with. That sounded less weird in my head. Ok I'm going to shut up now, enjoy! **

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It took me a few moments for my brain to process what events that had just occurred but after it did, it completely shorted out. I speed walked back to my room, trying to revive my brain by reciting the periodic table over and over. I reached the room in a matter of minutes, surprisingly out of breath. I dug down into my pocket to retrieve the key card and almost panicked when I thought I had lost it. I sighed when I remembered that Light had set it down on my night stand after he physically _carried _me inside. Damn it. I tried knocking on the door, figuring (hoping) that B would still be there. I didn't want to have to walk around the ship for another hour while waiting for someone to get back and risk running into Light's stuck-up posse. Not that Light was stuck-up. Of course what did I really know about the guy other than he was a devilishly handsome suicidal sex god. I quirked an eyebrow when I realized something in that description was contradictory. It had been about 3 minutes and I was about to start walking away when the door was flung open and I was met by Mello's body leaning against the doorframe, a mischievous smirk on his lips. Oh shit.

"Hey L." he stretched out the 'e' in 'hey' a lot more than necessary and I knew he only did that when he was drunk/high or when he knew a secret about someone and was going to use it as potential black mail. And the latter was far worse. I narrowed my eyes slightly as I slid inside the door, hands in pockets.

"Hey Mello." I deadpanned, trying to avoid any conversation that could lead to the proceedings that happened earlier. I quickly took off my jacket, throwing it to the floor beside my suitcase which I had placed beside the bed I was sharing with B (it was much more practical that leaving it in the closet) and grabbed some underwear and an undershirt from my bag and proceeded to make my way to the bathroom for a much needed shower. That was until Mello blocked my path. I scratched the back of my head, letting out an exasperated breath. "You wanna get out of my way?" I sighed. He shook his head, planting one hand on his hip. And so begins the unending string of questions.

"So B told me what happened a little while ago." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I pinched the bridge of my nose. Damn B to hell. I could always count on him to spread news that I wanted to stay clandestine like wildfire. Mello continued. "Was it that Light Yagami guy you fell onto the other day? It was wasn't it? And you hooked up with him, good for you L! You haven't had any action in…well you haven't really _had _any action that I'm aware of. But I can't believe you snagged that sex god, I mean damn! He had a really nice ass…" his voice tapered off finally as I just stood there, slightly insulted by the fact that he though I hadn't had sex with anyone before. As accurate as his statement may have been, I was still offended.

Mello continued to prattle on for a few moments as I trudged towards the bathroom door until something he said stuck out to me: "Are you going to see him again?" he said excitedly. I closed my eyes, groaning inwardly. Deciding to just tell the truth (because he would have found out one way or the other), I turned to him, my hand clutching the restroom doorknob.

"Yeah…" I began tentatively, "tomorrow night at 7:30. He invited me to dinner with him." I deliberately left out the part about Misa because frankly I didn't feel like talking about the little bitch. I heard Mello squeal like some raging fangirl and I winced slightly.

"Oh my god L really?" He squeaked and I nodded vaguely. "I can't believe you have a date tomorrow night! I'm going to have to make sure you have the right outfit and everything, you'll look _uh-mazing_!" I grimaced at the word 'date'. It just sounded so…cliché. Blegh. I hated when Mello went all 'flaming homo' on me, he sounded like such a girl. Suddenly, almost making me jump out of my skin, Near appeared at the bathroom door, one towel wrapped around his slender waist, another on his head. Having not seen him in hours, it was surprising to say the least.

"Did you just say L has a date tomorrow night?" he almost gaped at me, but his usual stoic Near-ness didn't allow any more than an understated eyebrow raise. Before I could cut in and fabricate a lie, Mello nodded vigorously, grinning like a madman. I rolled my eyes and decided to tell the truth yet again.

"I suppose you could call it that, this…guy I met invited me to dinner tomorrow night and I said yes. That's all there is to it." I slipped past Near and into the bathroom, less than subtly pushing him outside the small room and shut (and locked) the door behind me. Stripping quickly, I hopped in the shower and turned the water on as high as it would go. Steaming hot showers were how I cleared my mind and just let me think for a good 8 minutes. At least it was some time away from those two outside. I massaged some shampoo into my hair, enjoying the sudsy feeling of cleansing myself and the scalding water on my now aching muscles was a blessing.

After a few blissful minutes, I shut off the water and climbed out of the shower and dried myself off, slipping on my boxers in the process. They were my favorite pair, embellished with cartoons of cake and strawberries and other sugary confections. You have no idea how many stores I had to turn upside down in order to find these and, although I would never admit it, they were among my most prized possessions. I slipped on my white undershirt and shook some of the moisture out of my hair, splashing water droplets obnoxiously across the floor even though there were clearly clean towels hanging on the rack above the toilet. After drying off, I gathered my dirty clothes and walked out to face Mello's barrage of questions again.

When I stepped out, he was aberrantly quiet. He and Matt (who must have slipped in while I was bathing) were already in one of the queen beds, cuddled together as they slept. Near was already settled in the pull-out couch, his precious Nui-chan snuggled at his chest. Even B was back in the room, in the bed we were sharing, the blankets pulled over him so that he was just a lump in the sheets. Mello and Matt had probably spent most of the night dancing and making out, and who knows what the hell Near had been doing all this time. I was extremely hungry, but I didn't feel like eating despite the sudden shrieking protests my stomach made when I crawled into my bed.

I yanked some of the covers from B's sleeping body, pulling them up to my chin. I glanced over at the digital. 3:34am. Had I been up all night, actually not doing work for once and it was catching up to me. The last thing that swam through my muddled mind was Light's beautiful tear streaked face, his smile causing some strange feeling flutter in my stomach. _Can't stop…thinking… about you Light…_My eyes felt heavy and my body refused to pull the blanket any further over my head as I normally would have. I finally felt my consciousness ebbing away, my eyelids drooping shut as sleep swallowed me whole.

* * *

_"Come for me, Lawliet." Light's alluring voice purred in my ear. I felt myself shiver with need, my length hardening instantly. Light's hands moved across my chest, massaging the soft skin. I threw my head back, moaning softly. "You seem excited L." His voice wasn't pleading, just rapacious. "I owe you for saving my life earlier. We hardly know each other and it's wrong but…I need you." My moan grew a little louder._

"_I need you too, Light." I managed out, a soft blush appearing on my cheeks. I couldn't see his face but I could tell he was smirking behind me. Two of his fingers pinched one of my nipples, making my yelp unexpectedly. _

"_You're so beautiful, Lawliet." Light murmured, nipping my earlobe. That blush came back even worse than before when Light turned me around to face him. Bad mistake because I was then faced with an eyeful of Light's golden toned body. His broad caramel chest, flowing freely down to his slightly defined ab muscles, then to his slender hips. I resisted the surprisingly overwhelming urge to lick those abs, to lick his whole body really. My eyes drifted lower to his manhood which stood at attention at least 8 inches tall. I gulped, my cock giving a painful twitch._

"_Look at me, L." Light whispered huskily. Oh I am, trust me I am. He took my chin in his hand and guided my face up to his, forcing me to look into his eyes. Before I could say anything, his soft lips crushed onto my own, his tongue immediately entering my mouth. I was met by the same taste bud-exploding vanilla-cinnamon essence I experienced when we kissed before. _

_I reached behind Light's head, grabbing a fistful of his mahogany locks and pulled him closer, letting my tongue invade his cavern, exploring this glorious man's mouth. A moan escaped Light's throat and I smirked, taking the chance to run my hands over Light's toned chest. More moans rumbled in his throat as he struggled to regain dominance once again. He suddenly broke away from the kiss and spun me around again, pressing against my back. His arms were wrapped around my waist (which was bare for some reason) and I could feel his warm breath on his neck as he began to whisper into my ear._

"_Come for me, Lawliet, and only me…"_

I shot up in bed, hair clinging to my forehead with sweat. My breathing was ragged and shallow. I looked around my room to see the bathroom light on and morning sunlight filtering through the round porthole window. Near, B, and Mello were still asleep, Matt was presumably in the bathroom. I let out a deep breath, letting my body flop back into my pillow. It was all a dream. The cool sheets wrapped around my waist must have been Light's arms. The only thing that wasn't a dream was the painful tent in my boxers. Damn. So now incredibly flustered and horny, I couldn't do anything but get up and start getting dressed. I wasn't in the mood for a shower and there was no way in hell I was going to jack off in bed or in this room with anyone in it period. I tend to be reticent and easily embarrassed about things of that nature. Forcing my mind to focus on anything else other than that wet dream (like the cake I was going to have for breakfast, the fact that Near's socks stink like fuck when he doesn't wash them for a month, etc.), my boner eventually went away and I was able to walk around comfortably once again.

The time was about 7:30, breakfast was about to be served promptly at 7:45. Only about 4 hours of sleep but I've worked on less. I checked myself in the bathroom, performing my daily morning tasks like brushing my hair, teeth, and etcetera. Matt nodded to me lazily as he sat on the closed toilet seat, omnipresent video game in hand.

"Morning." He murmured. I smiled at him through the mirror, nodding.

"Morning. Sleep well?" he grunted in reply, his fingers clicking over the controls of his Gameboy.

"I was exhausted. Mello dragged me out dancing for hours. I have to admit though, it was pretty fun. I haven't gotten the chance to hang out with just Mello for a while, to sort of…reconnect you know? I think this cruise was a pretty good idea. I gotta remember to thank Mello someday." My smile widened and I walked over to where Matt was sitting, ruffling his dark red hair. He leaned his head onto my stomach because it was eyelevel, still playing his game, but I knew this gesture was one of affection and comfort. The fleeting thought crossed my mind that if it wasn't for Mello, I would have never met Light in the first place.

"I do too. Trust me Matty," I said, using his pet name, "I do too."

* * *

After talking with Matt, I grabbed a thin jacket and headed out before anyone else woke up. I slipped on some sweatpants and sneakers but all in all I still looked like I was in my sleeping clothes. The sun rise was absolutely beautiful when I stepped out onto the deck. A shimmering, gold disk began to shine, reflecting off the ocean. I stood there drinking in the liquid gold droplets that slowly began to warm up my pale skin. A moment later, I saw the golden sun sitting in its rightful place among the soft blue sky. I wasn't one for mushy stuff but what I saw was actually breathtaking. My feet had unknowingly led me to the same place where I stood with Light just hours ago, negotiating with him not to end his life. I sighed, leaning against the smooth railing, just gazing out at the ocean.

The ocean. Sometimes it's large and seems to be the most enormous thing in your universe. Other times, it's just not enough, you wish you had more. Sometimes it sparkles beautifully in the sun. Sometimes, it deceives and hides dark creatures deep within. Sometimes it provides entertainment, joy. Sometimes it only provides entertainment long enough to surround you for a while and then boom. You've drowned.

Well. That took an unexpected turn. I sighed, reaching into my jacket pocket. My fingers brushed against the paper money that had been given to me the previous night from Misa. I turned the hundred dollar bill over in my hands, just looking at it for a moment. Suddenly, and without any thought, I flung it over the side of the boat, the wind catching it and sailing it away out towards the sea. I didn't want their money, and I didn't want their pity. The only reason I was still considering on going to that dinner tonight was to see Light. That was all. Right? Right.

I let my elbow rest on the railing, cupping my chin in my hands. The sea breeze felt wonderful, the perfect temperature and the deck was silent, the soft rumble of the propellers slicing through the water as we chugged around the mid-Pacific far beneath me. I was so enthralled with the view that I didn't even notice when Light slid up silently beside me, leaning on the railing next to me.

"Beautiful huh?" he breathed. For some reason, I felt serene. I didn't even jump when he approached, it was as if I knew he would materialize soon enough if I kept thinking about him. I didn't feel the need to act all flustered and jumpy, I could just be me. Besides I couldn't _not_ stay calm gazing out at the ocean. I didn't turn to him as I smiled.

"Yeah, absolutely stunning." I murmured. He looked over at me, and scratched the back of his head slightly.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about…yesterday. And for Misa. I didn't mean to get you thrown in the middle of this at all. I could completely understand if you didn't want to come to dinner tonight. I'm sure you feel like Misa invited you out of spite, very typical of her." His voice went from rueful to malicious as he talked and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"Why are you engaged to her?" I asked quietly. It was quite a personal question but Light showed no discomfort to it. He shrugged indolently.

"Honestly, I'm acting on behalf of my father's wishes. It was arranged by our parents and I'm supposed to follow orders." He answered candidly. "High-class citizens marry other high-class citizens. That's how it works apparently. I hate it though, I hate her. She's not…nice, for lack of a better word. We have nothing in common, I can hardly talk to her without wanting to dry heave, and she disrespects me. She's rude, demanding, clingy, loud, every attribute I _hate_ in a person she seems to possess. I'm not sure why I have to marry her." I had raised my eyebrows at this point, turning myself toward him. Who knew he felt such strong dislike to his partner. Was that why he was so quick to make a move on me? I let out a breath.

"Wow. I'm sorry you feel like that Light. Do you _have _to marry her? Can't you just refuse you father's wishes?" Light sighed despondently and replied,

"No, I can't refuse." His tone was resolute which left no more room for questioning. I didn't want to dig too deep into the situation either. Brazenly, and obviously without thinking, I reached over and clutched his cool hand in mine. He wasn't shocked or disgusted, but his face turned softer and slightly more contented as he gazed down at our hands together. Light moved his fingers to that they intertwined, caramel mixing with cream. He brought our hands close to his face and rubbed the back of my hand on his cheek, closing his eyes.

"You're my only escape. When I'm with you, I don't feel like I have to be this perfect Light figure that everyone wants me to be. I feel like I could just be... myself. I get so much pressure thrust upon me by my father, friends, Misa, and other members of high society to be this perfect well-groomed people pleasing god, but with you, there's no pressure at all." He chuckled softly. "I know this is probably wrong but, it feels so...right." I was frozen, a warm smile spread across my lips. I didn't speak, I couldn't I felt that if I spoke, this serene and utterly perfect would be gone. I felt that if I spoke, I would wake up and find myself in just another dream. Instead, I started to walk, leading Light by the hand towards the front of the ship. It took a few minutes but since no one else was out yet, it wasn't too long before we reached the bow of the boat. He had asked where I was taking him a few times but I just chuckled and shushed him as we walked. When we reached the very tip, as far as you can go on the deck, I led him to the railing.

"Close your eyes and step up." I murmured softly. I noticed the slight fear in his eyes as his memories of the previous night came flooding back. "I won't let you fall, I promise." He smiled softly and did as I asked, shutting his eyes and hesitantly lifting one foot, then the other, until he was standing on one of the rails and off the deck. Once he was up, I did the same, my legs straddling him on either side. I was pressed against Light's back as I felt him lean back slightly into me. I took his hands and raised them until he stood with them outstretched at each side. When I lowered mine, his stayed up…like wings.

"Okay, now open them."

I heard Light gasp softly at what he saw. There was nothing in our field of vision but water. It was like there was no ship under us at all, just the two of us soaring. The Pacific unrolled toward us, a hammered copper shield under a dawn sky. There was only the wind, and the hiss of the water 50 feel below.

"It's like… I'm flying!" Light breathed, awestruck. He leaned forward slightly and I quickly put my hands on his waist to steady him.

Light closed his eyes, feeling himself floating weightless far above the sea. He smiled, and then leaned back, gently pressing his back against my chest. I pushed forward slightly against him. Slowly I raised my hands again, arms outstretched, and they meet Light's, our fingertips gently touching. Then our fingers intertwine. Moving slowly, our fingers caress through and around each other like the bodies of two soon to be lovers.

"Omoi daseba haruka haruka…" I sang softly in Japanese into Light's ear. I was 98% sure he spoke fluent Japanese and was 99% sure it was most likely his first language. "Dokoedemo tsuzuiterunda ookina ganban no shita de…" he chuckled softly as he probably recognized the song and I smiled.

I tipped my face forward into Light's blowing hair, letting the scent of him wash over me, until my cheek was against his ear. Light turned his head until his lips were near mine and I freeze. He lowered his arms, turning further, until he found my mouth with his. I gently wrapped my arms around him from behind, and we kissed like this with his head turned and tilted back, surrendering to me, to the emotion, to the inevitable. We kissed, slowly and tremulously, and then with building passion. The morning sun cast a warm glow around us, wrapping us in our own private bubble even though we were on the most exposed part of the boat. It was perfect, exactly how it was supposed to be and more. Call me cheesy but I wished I could have stayed there forever, my arms wrapped around this beautiful man.

Light and the ship seem to merge into one force of power and optimism, lifting me, buoying me forward on a thrilling journey, soaring onward into a day without worry or fear.

From then on, I knew nothing would be the same.

_In you and I there's a new land  
Angel's in flight_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah_  
_Where fears and lies melt away_  
_Music inside_  
_What's left of me what's left of me now_

_I watch you fast asleep_  
_All I fear means nothing_

_In you and I there's a new land_  
_Angels in flight_  
_My sanctuary my sanctuary yeah_  
_Where fears and lies melt away_  
_Music inside_  
_What's left of me what's left of me_

_~Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru_

* * *

**A/N: Gahhhh see? CHEESE! Buuuut I thought it was kinda sweet so I left it. And I really hoped that what I put in Japanese that I had L sing (an excerpt from Sanctuary/Passion) was translated correctly and was the right phrase. He was supposed so be singing this: "In you and I, there's a new land…my sanctuary, my sanctuary yeah. Where fears and lies melt away…" I really hope I got it right. I love Kingdom Hearts and thought it would be cool to fit that in here too, plus, it sort of worked in a way. Aaaaaand I just love the song to death! Oh, and sorry about all the line breaks ^^;;**

**Also, it's kinda weird how the pairing kind of changed. It went from LxLight, to LightxL, and now it's sort of LxLight again. It's like half and half. I think I've decided not to exactly put a label on the pairing quite yet, I want to see more where this story might take me to decide first. So I guess you can think of it however you want, some chapters might sway more towards LxLight, others might swing towards LightxL. Poor planning on my part but as I've said, I'm totally winging this story! Just throwin' those darts and hoping I get a bull's-eye. Alrighty that about sums up this chapter, hope you liked it! Oh and there's that cool little button chillin' down there that says 'review'. Yeah, click on it please and let me know what you thought! ^_^ **


	8. Damn Near Perfect

**Hey everyone, back finally! So last Wednesday we had really really bad tornado weather and while everyone else in my family was freaking out, guess what I was doing. Writing fanfiction. I really need to get my priorities in order :P Anyway, the power had been out for almost a week but now it's back thank god. This chapter had actually been finished for a couple days but I had no internet so all I could do is edit and check for errors and what not. Oh yeah, I realize that the last chapter was really corny, I get it, I just needed it to get to this chapter, I might end up editing that and/or getting rid of it and changing it completely to make it more relevant. But now that I think about it, it would have probably made more sense to put that one later on in the story. *sigh*Too late now. Moving on! In a little bit of this chapter, Light is probably going to seem really gay (so what else is new right?). And Misa is still a bitch. I don't want to kill her though, not yet *evil grin***

**Warnings: Language as usual, a little nudity (regarding pictures, not with L and Light sadly, sorry!), andddddd I think that's it. If there's anything else you come across that I neglect to announce, I apologize! It probably wasn't that bad anyway.**

***disclaimer in first chapter, I'm tired of having to type it every single update***

* * *

Light and I were walking side by side. We passed people reading and talking in beach chairs, some of whom glanced curiously at us, the mismatched pair, for more than one reason besides the fact that I was still wearing my night clothes. We were both awkward for different reasons.

"So Lawliet I—" Light began before I cut him off.

"L. Please call me L." I insisted, jamming my hands into the soft cotton pockets of my pants. Light chuckled softly.

"L…I feel like such an idiot. It took me all morning to work up the nerve to face you." He admitted. I smiled softly.

"Well here you are." Light looked down as we walked, as if he was suddenly incredibly interested in the wooden paneling on the ground beneath us.

"Here I am. I…I wanted to thank you, again, for what you did. Not just for pulling me back. But for your discretion." I looked over at him from under my bangs.

"You're welcome, Light." I said, shrugging my shoulders slightly. Light walked a bit farther ahead of me, letting himself drift to a nearby pole that lead upwards to go knows where. He looked over at me, a slightly distressed expression on his face, just barely there.

"I know what you're thinking, oh, little rich pretty boy. What could he possibly know about despair? He probably gets anything he wants, all the women and clothes, power…" I caught up to him, having to tilt my head upwards and squint against the sunlight because he was on a slightly raised platform facing the sun.

"No," I said softly, "that's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was…what could have happened to you to think that the only way out was suicide?" Light shook his head indecisively, then he let his words come out in a rush.

"I just had to get away... just run and run and run... and then I was at the back rail and there was no more ship... even the Titanic wasn't big enough. Not enough to get away from them. And before I'd really thought about it, I was over the rail. I was so furious. I'll show them. They'll be sorry!" I frowned.

"Uh huh. They'll be sorry. Of course, you'll be dead…" Light lowered his head, taking a step down and coming to stand beside me, presumably to continue walking.

"God I'm such a fool." I glanced over at Light at that moment. He looked so…defeated. It broke my heart to see him like this, head lowered, hands in his pockets. I resisted the urge to reach out and touch his face, to smooth out the wrinkled skin on his forehead like I had seen Mello do to Matt time and time again. I jammed my hands back into my pockets.

"That woman, Misa is it? Is she one of them?" I inquired. Light chuckled darkly, looking straight ahead.

"She _is _them." He muttered. He lifts his hand to show the sizable diamond ring on his right hand. He held his hand away from his body, almost in derision. My eyes widened to the size of saucers as I took in the twinkling stone.

"God, you would have gone straight to the bottom." We laughed together, my deeper timbre mingling with his slightly lighter tone, creating a unique effect. I thought it was a bit strange that he would be wearing an engagement ring, being a man and all, but perhaps it was because Misa want to have public claim over him. What a bitch. A passing steward scowled at me and I cringed undetectably. I don't like condescending looks unless I'm the one giving them out. Light just glared at him away and the man almost jumped as he scurried away from us; I watched him leave, smirking before I turned back to Light, my face composed again.

"So you feel you're stuck on a bullet train you can't get off of because you're marrying this woman." Light nodded vigorously.

"Yes, exactly!" he exclaimed, like he had just solved the one million dollar question. I cocked my head to the side.

"So don't marry her." I wrinkled my nose, frowning. The solution was simple enough to deduce.

"If only it were that simple."

"It is that simple." I deadpanned. Light waved my argument off like it was nothing. Like I was nothing. Well there's that rich boy persona in action I guess.

"L…please don't judge me until you've seen my world." He scoffed softly and I scowled, rolling my eyes.

"I guess I'll find out tonight then." I countered. An uncomfortable silence settles over us, a slightly tense one. Light was starting to piss me off just a little; I can't stand people who won't listen to logical reason. He nodded to my sketchbook I had under my arm. I had completely forgotten it was there, I must have subconsciously grabbed it on my way out of the room that morning. Weird.

"What's that?" he quipped. I shrugged, looking down at it.

"Just some sketches." I murmured nonchalantly.

"May I?" He asked. The question was rhetorical because he had already grabbed the book from under my arm before I could reply. He walked quickly over to a deck chair and opens it. I groaned inwardly and trudged over to look at them over his shoulder. Of course I had drawn them but they were still something to look at. Each one an expressive little bit of humanity and nature: a lake at dawn, an old woman's hands. A sleeping dog I had watched in front of our house back in Japan a few months back, a father and daughter at the rail, here on the ship that I had drawn not too long ago. When I had drawn it, it was more on a whim; I didn't think much of it, it wasn't even all that good to my standards, but Light seemed to be enthralled. The faces were luminous and alive, a celebration of human condition.

"Wow, L, these are quite good!" Light breathed. "Really they are." I scratched embarrassedly behind my head.

"Ah well, they didn't think much of them in old Par-ee." I sighed wistfully, using B's pronunciation of 'Paris'. I had gone there as part of an investigation, some of the other sketches were done in my downtime or after the investigation was over. Just then, a particularly strong gust of wind blew over us, taking some of the loose sketches in my book with it. I scrambled off the deck chair after them…catching two, but the rest were gone, over the rail. Light jogged up behind me, watching the papers fly away out toward the ocean.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, really I am!" He looked at me, sincerely contrite. I grinned wryly.

"I just seem to crank them out. Besides, they're not worth a damn anyway." For emphasis, I threw away the two I caught, letting them sail off. I had no idea what was on those loose papers, probably failures that I never got around to fixing. I saw Light's eyes trail after them and his hand almost reach out, as if in a futile attempt to catch them before he shook his head and chuckled.

"You're insane." He muttered before going back to the book, turning a page that I couldn't see. His expression changed from wonder to sardonic and I caught on what he was seeing. Dear god.

"Well, well…" he said under his breath. He came across a series of nudes. I had been…experimenting with my tastes in art; it was when I was a bit younger (as in around seventeen) and more open with things out of the norm. Nowadays I would be too embarrassed to even attempt to sketch another nude picture. It was just too…personal. And everyone knows L Lawliet does not do well with personal matters or relationships.

Once again, I looked with him, my cheeks turning pink as we both gazed at the pictures. I was just discomfited, but Light didn't seem to mind, he just looked…fascinated. My nudes were soulful, real, with expressive hands and eyes. They felt more like portraits than studies of the human form…almost uncomfortably intimate. Light blushed, raising the book as some strollers walked by. I could tell he was trying to be adult about it.

"And these were drawn from life?" he said, after clearing his throat. I nodded.

"Yep. That's one of the great things about Paris I suppose, girls are willing to take their clothes off for you." I almost laughed at my words; they sounded more like something B would say instead of me. We studied one drawing in particular, the girl posed half in sunlight, half in shadow. He hands lie at her chin, on furled and one open like a flower, languid and graceful. The drawing was like an Alfred Steiglitz print of Georgia O'Keefe. I noticed that Light wasn't turned on, just incredibly intrigued.

"You like this woman." He stated. "You used her several times." I nodded easily.

"She had beautiful hands, you see?" Reaching over Light's shoulder, I let my fingers brush her drawn hands, careful not to let the charcoal smudge. Light smiled at me.

"I think you must have had an affair with her…" My eyes widened and my cheeks flushed a slightly darker shade of pink.

"No, no! It wasn't anything like that. I don't…exactly find much sexual gratification in women. I lean more towards men I suppose." I said, my voice dropping as I looked away from Light's mahogany gaze. He chuckled and I looked up at his charming face.

"To be honest, I feel the same way." he admitted truthfully. I had already suspected this but smiled anyway. "You have a gift, L, really you do. You see people. You see the person inside, the one that stays hidden from everyone else in the world." I cupped my chin in my hand.

"I see you." I murmured, all playfulness gone from my voice. Light gazed at me expectantly.

"And…?" he asked hesitantly.

"You wouldn't have jumped."

* * *

Light and I strolled aft, past people lounging on deck chairs in the slanting late-afternoon light. I had hardly realized that we had literally been walking around all day, my phone buzzing a hole in my pocket probably from Mello calling to ask where the hell I was. We chewed over how good the weather was and about each of our childhoods (with me not revealing much about my past of course) and now we were just rambling on about our dreams for the future. If it sounds cheesy, it's because it was.

"You know, my dream has always been to just chuck it all and become an artist…living in a garret, poor but free!" Light smiled excitedly. I laughed whole-heartedly.

"You wouldn't last two days, pretty boy. There's no hot water, and hardly any caviar." Light scowled, one hand on his hip.

"Listen mister, I hate caviar. And I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a titter and a pat on the head." Technically I was _laughing _not chuckling but still, I could hear the seriousness in his voice. I smiled ruefully.

"Sorry." I said simply. He waved it off like it was nothing, this time I was relieved.

"Well alright. There's something in me, L. I can feel it. I don't whether I should be an artist, or…I don't know, a philosopher or something." He stops, curling his body and lifting his leg to imitate the famous _'Thinker' _sculpture. He stood still for a moment and I almost believed him. This gorgeous man did look like he was some Adonis carved from marble. Light's face lit up as he spotted something up ahead. "...or an actor! I've always loved the theater!" he took my hand and ran, pulling me along the deck toward two people who seemed to be doing a photo shoot. One man was behind an expensive looking camera, snapping pictures of a woman as she poses stiffly at the rail.

"You're sad, Mary. Sad, sad, sad!" the man with the camera was telling the woman as she posed. "You've left your lover on the shore. You may never see him again! Try to be sadder, darling." Suddenly, Light let go of my hand and walked into the shot, striking a theatrical pose at the rail. Mary burst out laughing and so did I, bringing my hand to cover my mouth as a laugh bubbled past my lips. I watched on in fascination, that was until Light decided to pull me into the shot and makes me pose with him. I felt extremely out of place. Light looked like he was _made _for the camera, his expressions flawless as the director grins and starts yelling and gesturing at both of us. I did my best not to look awkward, and it seemed to be working. I stuck to a slightly vacant expression, not exactly posing at first, I was extremely camera shy. Hiding from the world and avoiding pictures that weren't with my 'family' was what I had always been used to. After a few shots, I loosened up and ended up getting a few pretty interesting pictures, some that I didn't even know I was capable of.

Light posing tragically at the rail, the back of his hand to his forehead. Myself on a deck chair, pretending to be a Pasha, Light and Mary fanning me like slaves (that one I actually secretly really enjoyed). Me, on my knees, pleading with my hands clasped while Light, standing, turns his head in bored contempt. We even got a few shots with Light operating the camera, while the director and I had a western shoot-out. I won (complete with embarrassingly cliché cabbage patch dance) and leered into the lens, twirling an air mustache like Snidely Whiplash. It was so bizarre to be so out of character and actually having…fun. I never thought I would use that word in a way that wasn't sarcastic but I liked it.

Light seemed to be having a really good time, his radiance was transcendent and when he smiled, I smiled. It was amazing how quickly he turned around from the night before, from suicidal to this pulchritudinous god grinning like a madman having the time of his life. So far that day had been arguably the best day of my life, but there was still the dinner that night and who knows what surprises that could bring.

* * *

Painted with orange light, Light and I were leaning on the A-deck rail aft, shoulder to shoulder, when the ship lights came on. It really had been a darn near close to perfect day, a few more hours and I could declare it as such. Light and I were talking about our futures again, but it was more what we planned to do after we got off the cruise.

"Well to be honest, I won my ticket on the Titanic through a contest." I chuckled. "My…brother, who we call Mello, is pretty obsessed with online sweepstakes and this one really paid off. I had been trying to make a point to go to the states some day soon; I had been saving up until I heard that the Titanic docks in America. I was thinking of getting of to maybe live there when we dock." I was surprised to hear myself say it, I hadn't even told my B or anyone else about it. But this was the change I needed, to make a fresher start. I could still be a detective, but I would just be in the states rather than Japan. "I've been around the world to many places, but the U.S. just always seemed out of my reach. Like there was one time I went to a country in Africa, in Ethiopia to be exact, where I had to stay in a small village for a few weeks.

One kind family let me stay in their home and helped me learn how to basket weave. They even had young elephants around that you could go up to and give bananas to; you could ride the adult elephants as well. It was pretty incredible." Light nodded interestedly, absentmindedly scratching his nose. He looked out at the duck sky and sighed.

"Why can't I be like you, L? Just head out for the horizon whenever I fell like it." He turned to me. "Promise me we'll go there, sometime…to that village to ride elephants...even if we ever just talk about it." I grinned.

"Alright, promise." I brought my hand up to Light's that was resting on the rail and linked our pinkies together. It was childish but Light just laughed as we sang the Japanese promise song.

"Pinky promise, if you tell a lie I'll make you drink a thousand needles now pinky promise made!" We sang in unison. It probably wouldn't have attracted so many weird looks if we hadn't been singing in Japanese, but neither of us cared. Light leaned back using his hands to brace against the rail to that he wouldn't fall on his butt.

"You know what I've always wanted to do?" he asked.

"What?"

"Just curse out the world. Just to yell out the worst cuss word I could think of from the highest point of a mountain or something." It was an interesting request, but could easily be carried out.

"What they never taught you that in finishing school?" I teased and Light shook his head, laughing. "Well it's really simple, here watch closely." Looking around to make sure there weren't any children (or many people at all for that matter), I took a deep breath, letting it fill in my lungs, then yelled out 'fuck' as loud as I could off the side of the boat. It rang out, pure and clear, the wind carrying it out to the rest of the world. When I finally ran out of air, I turned back to Light who looked shocked to say the least. I gazed at him expectantly and hesitation flashed in his eyes. This probably went against everything he was taught in his upbringing on how to behave in higher society, but that was exactly why I wanted to see him do it. After a few seconds, Light finally nodded and sucked in air, yelling out something that sounded like 'mother fucker' across the ocean. I burst out laughing, clutching at my sides; if only he could see his face while yelling, it was really something hysterical I assure you.

Once he ran out of air he turned to me, his face alight.

"Wow that was…"

"Exhilarating?" I supplied, still chuckling. "Yes, it's an amazing stress reducer after a long day. Or at least that's why I do it every now and again." Light started to chuckle but then blanched. I noticed his expression and followed his eyes to what caused his blood to run cold. Light's father, Soichiro Yagami, and Mr. Terry Ward, along with two other women I didn't recognize had watched us screaming like idiots off the side of the ship. All my blood rushed to my toes and Light became instantly composed.

"Father," he said respectfully, "I'm sure you remember L. Lawliet?" He gestured to me and I did my best to nod courteously. Soichiro's gaze raked over me, obviously examining my attire: still pajamas.

"Yes, yes of course." He said aloofly. Ward proceeded to regale the other members of the posse of the event in which I saved Light's life, making me seem much more valiant than I actually was at the time. The others were gracious and curious about me it seemed, but Light's father looked at me like an insect. A dangerous insect that needed to be squashed quickly. One of the women who introduced herself as Melissa Greenwood grinned at me in the midst of the unvoiced threat.

"Well, Lawliet, it sounds like you're a good man to have around in a sticky spot—" We all jumped at the sound of a bugler calling for dinner right behind us. "Dear Lord, why do they insist on announcing dinner like a damn cavalry charge?" she said, flustered by the sudden noise. I blinked and suddenly remembered that I was to have dinner with these people soon. As in very soon. Light looked at his father with an expression that was smooth and very businesslike.

"I suppose we should go change for dinner?" he suggested. Soichiro, who seemed to completely forget about my presence nodded curtly, adjusting his suit and tie before nodded to the rest of his group to start walking. "See you at dinner, L." Light called over his shoulder. He was trying his best to sound indifferent but I could hear the apprehension that colored his tone just barely. He was obviously as worried about dinner as I was. Everyone walked away, moving like a single being, leaving Melissa and I alone on the deck. She looked at me, a knowing look on her face.

"Boy, do you have the slightest idea about what you're about to walk into?" She said simply. I noticed for the first time that she had a relatively thick English accent contrary to her very southern style of dressing. It was something I was grateful for, England was a place very close to me. This Melissa woman didn't seem to look at me like I was some unworthy peasant; she looked at me like I was a real person. Another thing I was grateful for. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, smiling wryly.

"Not really." I answered truthfully.

"Welcome to hell." She said dryly, probably only half joking. "I hope you're ready. Do you know what you're going to wear?" I looked down at my clothes and back up at her. I hadn't exactly thought about that yet.

"I'm sure I have something, I have…my own personal stylist if you will." I resisted the urge to break out into song right then, Mello's gay sense of fashion might actually come into handy tonight… Melissa didn't look exactly convinced but she sighed, but the she let her hand rest on my shoulder before she chuckled and shook her head.

"Whatever you say. I'll be at the dinner as well, good luck." She called over her shoulder before she began to walk away, probably to go get changed herself. Without much time to spare, I hightailed it back to my room, glad for once that Mello was there, lounging with Matt flipping through TV channels. B and Near were there as well, playing strip poker (WTF).

"Mello," I called grimly as I walked through the door, about to utter the last words I would ever thought to hear myself say to the blond. "I need your fashion sense."

* * *

In no time at all, men's suits and jackets and formal wear that I didn't even know we owned were strewn all over the place. Everyone (even Near) was rushing about, trying to help me with everything: my hair, clothes, shoes, even trying to put some makeup on my which I vehemently objected to. Mello and B were having a fine time it seemed, flitting about tossing me things to try on. Luckily B and I were pretty much the same size, save for the fact that he was a few inches taller, but that didn't seem to change much.

I was mostly dressed, except for a jacket and Mello was tying my tie because I didn't have the slightest idea on how to do it myself. B picked up a jacket off the bed and handed it to me, and I quickly slipped it on without question. Adjusting it in a way that I hoped was accurate, I went to stand in front of a full length mirror hung on the back of the bathroom door to inspect myself. And I had to admit, they all did a great job.

After taking a well deserved shower, Near and Matt had helped comb out the snarls in my hair and straighten it so it lay flat and submissive for the first time in years. My bangs layed in sweeping layers across my forehead, framing my face well and making me look a few years older in the process. Mello and B had fitted me in an appropriate jet black suit with a black dress shirt and striped pink tie (to my slight disdain) along with some very nice black dress shoes. I looked very sleek and professional, but pretty damn sexy too. I looked like a whole new person really. Mello and B stood slightly behind me, gazing at the L standing in the mirror and examining their handiwork.

"My God you look awesome L, I'm telling you, you're gonna knock 'em dead tonight." Mello winked, punching my shoulder. I grinned, pulling down my sleeves to relieve some of the tension from the fabric bunching up at my shoulders.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I look… impressive. Thanks Mello, B, Near, Matt. I think everything is going to go well. At least for the night anyway." They all smiled, giving me a crushing family hug before promptly attempting to shove me out the door. I scurried out, slowing my pace once in the hallway. They waved at me, all offering their own advice.

"Get some L!" Matt and B hooted in unison, exchanging high fives. Mello contributed with:

"Use protection!" Near rolled his eyes and called out,

"Don't forget to be polite, remember your proper dining etiquette." I nodded to myself committing that bit to memory. It was probably the best instruction given to me that night so far. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before I hyperventilated as my feet carried me towards the dinner. There really only was one extremely expensive looking bistro on the ship so I figured that's where it would be. I looked down at my leather-bound watch given to me by Near. 6:45pm, not too long now.

A purple sky, shot with orange in the west greets me as I walk along the open deck, following the drifting strains of classical music. A steward bowed to me smartly, opening the door to the First Class Entrance.

"Good evening, sir." He says politely. I played the role smoothly, nodding with just the right degree of disdain. I stepped in and for the second time since we boarded the boat, my breath was taken away by the splendor spread out before me. Overhead was an enormous glass dome, with a crystal chandelier at its center. Sweeping down six stories is the First Class grand staircase, the epitome of the opulent naval architecture of the last century. Even though the ship was modern, this section held a very old time feel to it, like it was designed to resemble the early 1900s.

And the people: the women in their cocktail dresses, elaborate hairstyles and abundant jewelry. The men in evening dress, gathered in small groups, champagne flutes in hand, talking quietly. I descended to the A deck, passing several men who nodded to me in a perfunctory greeting. I nodded it back, keeping it simple. I kind of felt like a spy, though I suppose being a detective was sort of like that. Except completely different. I acted as if I was undercover, observing the scenery and how everyone interacted with each other in this alternate universe.

Misa came down the stairs along with some other woman who I presumed was a friend, covered in jewelry. They walked right past me, neither one recognizing me. I bit back a growl as she nodded to me, one member of high society to another. I hardly had time to be amused because just behind them on the stairs came Light, a vision in red and black, his own onyx suit mirroring my own (although probably ten times more expensive than the one I was wearing). His silky crimson dress shirt adding amazing contrast and yet blending perfectly. His hair was the height of faultlessness, every strand shining and laying in place, falling around his face like a magnificent picture frame. Light's face was smooth, suave and composed. His eyes seemed to be searching for something, someone, probably me. I squashed down the pleased grin as his eyes finally catch mine as a delighted smile stretched across his face. He descended down the stairs quicker, trying to meet me. Before I could open my mouth to speak, Light looked past me, his face poised once again.

"Misa, surely you remember Mr. Lawliet." He said.

"Lawliet!" Misa's strident voice made my cringe inwardly; I didn't even realize how close she was to me until I turned to face her. "I didn't even recognize you." She began to study me, her gaze raking across my attire. "Amazing! You could almost pass for a gentleman." My eyelid twitched unnoticeably and I wanted to smack that bitch across the face. Again.

"Almost." I said putting on a mask of unabashed politeness. What an incredible actor I am.

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**I realize that was sort of a weird place to stop but this chapter was getting a bit long. The whole yelling thing might have been awkwardly done, in fact the whole thing might be awkwardly written but oh well! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chappy (at least a little bit), review would be extremely appreciated!**


	9. Our Only Ace to Play

**Another chapter up, this one was cranked out pretty quickly, but hopefully it's still good. I decided to change it to Light's POV, to change things up a bit. I also had much more talking in this before the first paragraph, but I realized it was pretty irrelevant so I scratched it out. Hmm yeah sorry this chapter is pretty short, I just needed to get through dinner. Of course, Misa is STILL a total bitch, Light's dad isn't exactly the most accommodating man either. Oh well. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Warnings: I think I put 'damn' in there maybe once. Other than that, there shouldn't be any other warnings.**

***disclaimer is in the second chapter***

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Light POV

Like a ballroom at a palace, alive and lit by a constellation of chandeliers, full of elegantly dressed people and beautiful music from a small orchestra. L and I entered and moved across the room to our table, Misa and my father sitting across from us. The minutes leading up to then had been slightly stressful ones; my father had decided to regale me with some redundant information while we had been changing for dinner.

*Flashback of a few minutes previous*

"Light," he said, his deeper timbre sounding from the depths of the walk-in closet in our room. His voice was serious and cold in a way that made me uncomfortable. "After this night, I don't want you seeing that boy again. I forbid it." I felt my mouth fall open in indignation. Even if he was my father, he did not have the right to tell me who I could and could not socialize with.

"Oh stop it father," I said masking the anger that attempted to color my tone, "you'll give yourself a nosebleed." Suddenly he appeared from the closet and crossed the room to the door. He locked it, the metal clicking together in a distinct 'clack!'. I only felt slightly nervous as he wheeled on me, his face more distressed than anything.

"Light, this is not a game! Our situation is precarious; you know the money is gone!" I tried to keep my face smooth but my eyes narrowed, my body language was taut.

"Of course I know it's gone," I muttered, "you remind me of it everyday." My father crossed the room, standing before me in a matter of seconds.

"When your mother died, her company went with her. Along with that, she left us nothing but a legacy and bad debts hidden by a good name. And that name is the only card we have to play, Light." My eyes clouded and I looked away from him, a melancholy air washing over me as I remembered holding my mother's hand, kneeled beside her as she died in her hospital bed sick with leukemia. It reminded me of when I was holding L's hand, kneeling by his bedside when he was intoxicated. Could that have only been the previous night?

I was distracted while my father reached toward my neck, straightening my tie and my suit along with it, even though they were both in perfect order to begin with.

"I don't understand you. You're a fine match with Misa, and it will ensure our survival." Survival? I looked up at him, lost and a bit hurt.

"How can you put something like this on my shoulders?" Only then did I see the naked fear flash in his eyes.

"Do you want to see me working a minimum wage job? Is that what you want? Do you want to see all our fine things sold, our memories scattered to the winds? My God, Light, how can you be so selfish?" By this point I was seething. He was playing the guilt card and I hated him for it. How could he do this to me? How could he ask this of me? To marry Misa just to make sure he can continue living the cushy and undemanding life he's been used to for so many years. I couldn't give a damn.

"And I'm the one being selfish?" I murmured under my breath. I wasn't sure if he heard me but he pulled my tie tighter around my neck anyway.

*End flashback*

I clenched my fists under the table, mood sullied as my now irate gaze was fixated on the pristine tableware. I felt someone touch my forearm and I looked up to see L looking at me, his obsidian gaze reflecting concern.

"Are you okay Light?" He asked quietly, trying not to attract any attention from the stragglers still making their way to the table. I smiled softly, though it didn't reach my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks though." He nodded slightly and turned away, his gaze pleasantly blank as he took in the sights and sounds of this alternate universe. I allowed a moment for my eyes to rake over his attire and I had to admit, he looked amazing. His hair was combed and straightened, giving his face a much older, sleeker appearance; his clothing was exceptional, standard black suit and a pink striped tie that made me smile. A little colorful flare was good every now and again. His posture wasn't ramrod straight, but it gave him an air of forthright easiness, like he wasn't stressed to be in this environment and he was just sitting down for dinner with his family. Family… come to think of it, I didn't know anything about L's family.

All I knew was that he obviously had a brother named B which was quite odd, but maybe it was a nickname. There was no way they couldn't be brothers because they looked almost exactly alike. B was the one who crashed into the doorway with Misa that night. Misa. The bitch who I was being forced to marry soon, once we docked in America, we were scheduled to have our wedding. By then it wouldn't matter how much I hated her, we would be bound by marriage, husband and wife. I shuddered openly at the thought and I felt L's same touch on my forearm.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're shivering. Are you cold?" I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness but once again, it didn't reach my eyes.

"I'm sure, and no I'm not cold. I'm sorry for worrying you, I just have…a lot on my mind right now." He smiled back at me remorsefully, his eyes sympathetic as his hand slipped underneath the table to softly grasp mine in his. I resisted the urge to lean into his lithe frame, to just lean against him and let him wrap his arms around me. But before I could say anything else, everyone had taken their seats and dinner had begun. Here we go.

I took the liberty of pointing out all the notables at our table such as Sebastian Lewis, the owner of a well-known electronics company, and David McGuire, the richest man on the ship. He was nearly fifty-five and his little wifey, Wanda, was only a year older than myself. Quite the scandal. Even more so because Ms McGuire was at home with their three children. Then came the Earl of Winchester and his wife Madelyn, along with Noblewoman Gwendolyn Ratcovitch and her rather whipped husband Larry. There were a few more and L nodded slowly at my quiet one-sided introductions, taking it all in. Surely it was overwhelming, but nothing he didn't and couldn't handle.

L must have been nervous but he never faltered. They assumed he was one of them, a young captain of industry perhaps. New money, obviously, but still part of the club. Father of course, could always be counted upon.

"So tell us of the accommodations in steerage, Mr. Lawliet. I hear they're quite good on this ship." I shot daggers at my father who remained unaffected. I stole a glance at L who I could tell was doing his best to control himself. Even so, I could see one fist clenched up under the table.

"On the contrary sir," he said, his voice steady and respectful, not betraying any of his true emotions, "I hold a second class ticket. The lodging there is excellent I must say." I saw my father hide a scoff and I stiffened as the waiters came around, serving our first course in front of us. I motioned surreptitiously for L to take his napkin off his plate and he did, quickly and naturally.

"Yes, Mr. Lawliet was some assistance to my fiancé last night." I heard Misa pipe up from across the table. She looked at L, and only he and I could sense the feign charm in her voice. "This is foie gras. It's goose liver." She sounded like she was talking to him like a child. I wanted to slap her so badly but I kept my mouth shut as I glanced over at L who looked slightly disgusted with the food on his plate. To be completely honest I wasn't crazy for the food either. The Earl leaned close to his wife, whispering into her ear as he stole condescending glances at L.

"What is Misa hoping to prove, bringing this… bohemian…up here? He doesn't belong here." A waiter serving food leaned slightly over the table between L and me, looking at L.

"And how do you take your caviar sir?" he asked politely. Before L could speak, Misa answered for him across the table.

"Just a soupcon of lemon…" she smiled almost too sweetly at L. "It improves the flavor with champagne." My eyelid twitched but I watched on, waiting to see how he would respond. He simply turned to the waiter, dismissing him with a slight shake of his head.

"No caviar for me thanks," he said to the waiter before turning to Misa, an almost too charming smile on his lips. "Never did like it much." He cast a sidelong glance at me, pokerfaced, and a grin broke out on my face. My father spoke up again, but this time he was simply curious.

"And where exactly do you live, Mr. Lawliet?" L blinked slowly, just barely leaning back in his chair like he was preparing to settle into a nice conversation.

"Well, right now I'm living in Japan with my brothers. I plan to move to America soon. I don't have an exact plan of what I want to do when I arrive there, so I suppose after that I'm on God's good humor." Salad was served while he was talking and L reached for the fish fork. I gave him a look and picked up the salad fork, prompting him wit my eyes. He changed forks.

"You find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?" he father quipped condescendingly, taking a bite of salad. L just nodded, pretending to be impervious to the comment.

"Well, yes sir I do. The world is massive and I want to see as much of it as I can before I die. My father was always talking about going to see the ocean. He died in the town he was born in and never did get to see it. You cannot simply wait around; because you never know what window of opportunity will be open to you if you just take that one chance. That one silly choice you make to get on that train even though you have no idea where it's going. That one night, where what you say could save someone's life." I heard him pause, probably to spare a quick and inconspicuous glance at me. "My parents passed away in a fire with I was very young and I've practically been alone since. The only ones I have are my brothers now. Its things like that that teaches you to take life as it comes at you. To make each day count."

Melissa Greenwood, who I had forgotten was sitting at the table with us, raises her glass in salute.

"Well said, L." I raised my own glass, looking at L.

"To making it count." Everyone else raises their glasses and repeats my words in unison and I smile at L, trying to let my eyes explain what I was feeling at that moment. I never heard him talk about his parents at all until then, I had no idea they had perished in a fire. He grinned back at me, the slightest hint of a bashful smile playing at his lips. My father, annoyed that L had scored a point, pressed him further.

"How is it you have means to travel, Mr. Lawliet?" I resisted the urge to tell him that just because he wasn't first class didn't mean he was dirt poor. Once again, L remained calm and perfectly collected.

"My work moves me around from place to place sir. Though I won my ticket on Titanic here in an online contest. It was an extremely fortuitous and lucky event to say the least." David McGuire cleared his throat, nodding at L's point.

"All life is a game of luck." He stated and Misa shook her head, chuckling.

"A real man makes his own luck Dave, right darling?" she said, glancing pointedly at me from across the table. I distractedly agreed, noticing a Mr. Gordon Michaels sitting next to me. Why I didn't take notice of him before, I wasn't sure. Michaels was respectively the man in charge of building the Titanic from the ground up. I was incredibly impressed with him. He was currently writing in his little notebook, completely ignoring the entire conversation.

"Mr. Michaels, what are you doing?" I asked, genuinely curious. "I see you everywhere writing in that little notebook." I grabbed it out of his hand to read it. "Increase the number of screws in hat hooks from 2 to 3." I read aloud, my voice becoming incredulous. "You build the largest ship in the world and this preoccupies you?" Michaels just smiled sheepishly.

"I know every rivet in her, all three million of them. My blood and soul are in the ship; mine on paper and in the eyes of God she belongs to me." I smiled, handing him back his notebook.

"Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Michaels. Truly." There's that embarrassed smile again.

"Thank you, Light." And now he was under my charming spell. It wasn't something I mean to do, but I had this strange way of making people turn to mush, be they male or female in my presence. Blessing or a curse, I wasn't sure but nonetheless, I used it. Not to use it for my own gain, more to set people's minds at ease. Worked every time.

A while later, after my father quit badgering L with questions, we were all able to relax a bit and have dinner. L seemed to be enjoying himself, chatting with almost everyone at the table at least once. He avoided my father (for good reason) but even ended up saying a few words to Misa out of sheer politeness. Dessert had been served and a waiter was arriving with cigars in a humidor on a wheeled cart. The other men at the table started to clip and lighting up the cigars, L and I on the other hand held back. L had mentioned to me that he did smoke a while ago, but had quit, and I had found smoking to be a completely horrible habit so I never took part. Plus, the smell of smoke clung to your hair and clothes, who wanted that? I leaned over close to L, talking in a low voice.

"Alright, next they'll most likely start to leave, to head to one of the many lounging areas around to smoke and drink brandy until they pass out." I murmured with a chuckle. As if on queue, my father stood, addressing the table.

"Anyone care to join me for a brandy?" L snorted under his breath. Misa, and Wanda stood to join the men as they all began to retreat. David McGuire turns to look at L.

"Joining us, Lawliet? You don't want to stay here do you?" L shook his head.

"No thank you, I have to be heading back." Misa smirked as she passed, resting a hand on his shoulder. I could see him visibly stiffen at her unwelcomed touch.

"Probably best. It'll be all business and politics, that sort of thing. Wouldn't interest you." She began to walk off, casting one last patronizing glance over her shoulder as she flipped her blond hair back with the back of her hand. "Oh and Lawliet, good of you to come." With that, the men, Misa, and Wanda exit, leaving me, L and the other women at the table.

"L, do you have to leave?" I said, pleading with my eyes not to go. He stood, shoving one hand in his pocket.

"Time for my coach to turn back into a pumpkin." He smiled contritely. He extended his hand for me to shake and I take it, noticing the miniscule slip of paper between his fingers. L walked away, leaning forward into his usual crouch as he shuffled out of the dining hall without looking back. Quickly and surreptitiously, I opened the note below table level. Written in clear Latin it read: "Satis prodest. Occurre gradibus." _Make it count. Meet me by the staircase. _

Without thinking, I rose from my chair, wasting no time as I made my way out to the A-Deck foyer. I crumpled the letter and put it into my pocket so that no one would find it. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach uncharacteristically as I sighted L at the landing above. Overhead is the crystal done. L had his back to me, studying the ornate clock, with its carved figures of Honor and Glory. It softly struck the hour. I went up the sweeping staircase, the fluttering more intense than before. He turned to me, smiling.

"So do you want to go to a real party?"

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**A/N: Yup so there you go! Hope you like this chapter, the next one shall be interesting to write, the *ahem* 'party' is going in involve the Wammy boys so you know it's going to be screwed up XD but fun nonetheless most likely with some embarrassment on Light's part. Heh heh I guess we'll see. Alrighty, gotta go, reviews would be lovely! ^_^**


	10. Baby, If You Love Me You'll Smile Pt 1

**Hey back! First off, I'm so sorry for being gone for so long, real life gets in the way sometimes, plus I have finals this week and I'm working for my mom at her restaurant now so that takes up quite a bit of time but summer if right around the corner, one more week! It's right there but I just can't touch it sadly. But! Once I have summer, it's fanfiction time! I already have like 3 more story ideas I've roughly written up while I was supposed to be doing final exam reviews at school (heh heh ^^;;), but I have to finish this one, then get back to Drunken Confessions. Either that or Drunken Confessions will go on hiatus because I'm in a rut for that one at the moment. Also! I'm planning to expand my fanfics to Code Geass, Ouran HSHC, and Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji this summer which will be nice because I'll be able to get into the heads of more characters (I need the writing practice) and broaden my hypothetical horizon.**

**Another pretty plus for my summer, I'm finally going to an anime convention! HamaCon to be exact and I can't freaking wait! Cosplaying as a maid so it's going to be awesommmme. I wanted to go as Meirin from Black butler but I don't have a wig and I'm making my cosplay and the wig wouldn't get here in time anyway. I realize I'm talking a lot but I haven't talked to you guys in a while!**

**One more thing, I'm switching back to L's point of view. I experimented with Light's and might alternate between the two from here on out. I really hope I don't disappoint you guys with the party in this chapter, I can tell by some of your reviews that you're looking forward to it so hopefully it meets your standards! This is only the first part of the party so there's more to come.**

**Warnings: Lang. as usual, drug use, that's all.**

***Disclaimer. Yeah.***

**Enjoy!**

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**L POV**

Light gazed at me expectantly from under his bangs, waiting for me to speak. Before I could open my mouth to explain what the 'party' meant, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I held one finger up in the universal 'wait a minute' sign and flipped open my cell phone to read the new text message.

_From: marshMELLO ;)_

_Whatever dude just hurry up and get ur ass down here, space is fillin up fast! Even so, there's still room for you and ur little boy toy, can't wait to meet him ;D _

_~Mells_

I rolled my eyes and then looked back up at Light who was still waiting for me to talk.

"There's a party going on below deck, my brothers had planned it and insisted I bring a date tonight." I explained with yet another eye roll, this one just for effect. Light chuckled.

"Sure that sounds fine, anything is better than being here I assure you." His expression turned teasing as he nudged my ribs with his elbow. "Besides I may be first class but I can party it up with the best of them. Ever been to a diplomat's bachelor party?" I shook my head, a smile playing at my lips.

"No I can't say I have." I replied slowly. Light's face turned reminiscent and he looked upwards at an angle like he was remembering something that happened in the past.

"That was one crazy night." he murmured to himself before laughing. I couldn't help but laugh although I wasn't completely sure what he was alluding to. Nevertheless, I extended my hand out to him in a very gentlemanly way.

"So shall we go?" I drawled in a horribly cheesy English accent. Light chuckled and took it and off we went. We chatted idly as I led him down flights of stairs, deeper into the bowels of the Titanic. At one point in time I took the chance to warm him.

"Now, the party we're going to isn't exactly one you're probably used to. Please bear an open mind about the party and my brothers as well. When you first meet them, especially B, they will seem extremely…anomalous and 'freaky' is the word I suppose. Don't let that fool you though and don't be scared of them; they're actually quite nice. When they want to be." Light just nodded as we walked, taking all of my information in. At the moment we were padding down a dimly lit hallway in the third class section of the boat and were quickly approaching our destination. Loud yet relaxed music floated to us from an open door at the end of the corridor and I stopped short, looking over at Light from the corner of my eye. I watched a mixture of trepidation, excitement, and…possible disgust wash over his face all at once and I squeezed his hand softly, making him turn to face me.

"Ready?" I asked. He ran one hand through his hair, letting out a breath and letting his face relax into that forthright and almost cocky grin that I knew and had come to love. His hand squeezed mine back as he nodded and replied,

"Ready." And with that, we closed the gap between the entry to the party and us and stepped through the door.

We were immediately assaulted with the distinct smell of weed, sweat, and sex, the scent mingling together to create a rather unpleasant combination. Everyone seemed rather mellow, lounging in big groups or some were dancing to the music, drinks in hand. A thin layer of smoke from the cigarettes and marijuana being used shrouded some of the room, making it a bit harder to see everything in detail, but the atmosphere gave off a very chilled, very relaxed 'hey no worries man' vibe. Light put a hand over his mouth as he coughed a few times, leaning over towards my ear as we walked deeper into the room.

"What is that horrible smell?" he whispered urgently and I almost chuckled, the smell not affecting me as much.

"It smells like weed, booze, sweat, and sex to be blunt." I deadpanned, watching Light's face go from disgust to confusion. He leaned over to me again.

"….What's weed?" he asked softly, like a child. I sputtered out laughing, an amused smirk on my lips as I turned to him.

"Oh come on, you've never heard of weed? Marijuana? Pot? That green stuff you smoke that makes you high?" I prompted, trying to ring some bells in his head. Light frowned slightly and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

"Never heard of it." He said truthfully and I couldn't help the diminutive smile that bloomed on my face. For all those brains, Light was pretty fucking naïve. I guess living such a privileged completely sheltered life has its disadvantages. I squeezed his hand as we walked, a reassuring smile on my face.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

There was something decidedly different about this place. Something here seemed…raw and to some extent uncensored. The people, the atmosphere, something was off, but also in a decidedly good way. We eventually found Mello and the gang (I laughed inwardly at my use of the word 'gang') lounging on a couple of leather couches that had been pushed together in a lopsided circle. Mello was the first to spot Light and me; he turned in his seat on the couch to face us, waving us over.

"Come, come, we've been waiting for you two we thought you wouldn't show!" he grinned at Light and stood up to meet us. I felt Light's hand twitch somewhat in shock and I cocked an eyebrow in confusion at his dumbfounded expression until I actually looked at what Mello was wearing. I allowed myself an honest to God physical facepalm as I took in his attire: tight sleeveless leather vest (not surprising), feather boa (once again, not surprising), cowboy boots and…wait for it…skin tight booty shorts. Dear fucking God.

"Ah so this is the guy huh? Light Yagami right? He's better than I remember L, and he looks really hot in a suit!" Mello jumped right into his analysis of Light, not even giving the poor guy time to mentally prepare himself for the psychosomatic scarring that was most likely in his imminent future. I stepped in, clearing my throat.

"Um, Light, this is one of my half brothers, Mello. I told you about him remember?" I prompted, introducing the two. Recognition flashed in Light's eyes as he nodded, smiling maturely as he held out a hand for Mello to shake.

"Ah yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Mello." Light said, sounding far too practical. Mello laughed, waving his hand away.

"Nah, no need for all that formal bullshit, because I really don't care." He said lazily, reaching his arms above his own head in a stretch. He took a step forward towards Light, coming almost uncomfortably close to him, squinting to scrutinize Light as much as possible. "You seem like the uptight rich pretty boy type. Breaking you is gonna be fun! Oh and you're definitely gonna be a screamer, I can tell." Mello stated matter of factly, as if he was reading from a textbook. Light's face went from indignant to nervous to pallid in an instant with Mello's words, practically choking on his spit as he let out a sputtering cough.

"Excuse me?" he asked, incredulous. He was probably wondering why a fifteen year old knew so much and even knew what a screamer was. I felt my eyelid twitch painfully as Mello continued on talking.

"You know, when L finally fucks your brains out? You probably won't be the type to keep quiet, you'll scream and yell out his name and—" At that point, I leapt forward to slap my hand over Mello's mouth. Light's face was flaming cerise as he stared wide eyed at me, most likely debating whether or not coming here was a good idea. I tried to work up a nervous laugh to try and lift away the awkwardness Mello had dropped on us like a nuclear bomb, failing miserably.

"What Mello means is, 'hi it's nice to meet you too Light'." I spoke quickly, trying to tell Light with my eyes about what I had warned him about. What did I say? Imminent mental scarring. "And now Mello will sit down and _shut the fuck up_ while I introduce the rest of my brothers." I said quickly, shoving Mello back down on his place on the sofa. With more than slight hesitation Light followed me into the inner circle of couches to greet everyone else, hands in his pockets. We faced the rest of the group and motioned to Light as I talked.

"This is Light Yagami guys, he's joining us from the first class tonight and I'm afraid he isn't as…accustomed to how we act. If you would be so kind as to introduce yourselves?" I gazed expectantly at B to go first. He gave a half hearted two finger salute to Light, his legs swung lazily over the arm of one of the couches, Matt was sitting right in front of him on the sofa, leaning back on B's stomach.

"I'm sure you already know me, call me B or Beyond, I really don't care. I hooked up with your fiancé last night if you remember, uh, yeah I think that's about it." He said frankly in a way that made me mentally facepalm. As if things couldn't get any more awkward he had to bring Misa into this. Light seemed to ignore this as he didn't get upset about the Misa thing, either that or he hated her so much he didn't even care. I liked the latter much more. He nodded, waiting for me to introduce him to the next family member. I glanced over at Matt, who was sitting normally on the couch, playing on his PSP and completely ignoring us. I coughed and he looked up, glancing at me then at Light and nodded, his eyes drifting back to the small screen.

"Hey, I'm Matt, touch my video games or my goggles and you fucking die." He said, the insidious threat completely and utterly real. Light nodded vigorously, eyes wide as I prompted Near to speak. He was sitting on the ground, one leg pulled up in his signature crouch, his body resting against Matt's leg. He regarded Light with those sharp calculating eyes, his face perfectly smooth.

"I'm Near." That's all he said, and that's all that needed to be said. Light nodded easily to Near, finding something oddly comforting in that unfathomable gaze as do I. Light then looked at everyone in quick succession, soaking in all the different personalities. I was surprised at how well he was taking all of this; he hadn't run away screaming, yet. B sat up and pushed Matt farther away from his body, making room for the two of us to sit down. It didn't look like much room, only enough for one…person…no. No no no nononoooo.

"Uh B, you're gonna need to scoot over some more, Light won't have a place to sit and I don't want him to have to sit in my lap." I said, shuffling my feet awkwardly. B smirked, rolling his eyes. He chuckled and just got more comfortable, obviously not intending to move any time soon. I glared at him, glancing back at Light who was swaying a bit on his feet. He had been taking deep breaths to calm himself, inhaling lung full after lung full of second hand weed smoke. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he turned to me, grinning crookedly.

"Oh come on L, what if I want to sit in your lap?" he said, reaching out to let one hand glide up my arm, his fingertips leaving goose bumps in their wake. My eyes fluttered wide, surprised by this suddenly brazen Light Yagami. I raised one eyebrow in concern.

"Are you sure Light? Are you feeling okay?" I murmured, waving my hand in front of his face. His eyes followed my hand, lagging a bit but they still followed which was a good sign. He took in a deep breath through his nose, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him despite my blush spreading across my face from the low cat calls from my brothers.

"I'm perfectly fine! I feel so much more relaxed and calm than when we first walked in, I don't know what it is but I like it." He giggled softly, leading me over to the couch and sitting down, pulling me down on top of him, his strong arms still tight around my torso. I had to wrap my arms around his neck for support and I heard Mello and B hoot loudly at Light's brash actions.

Almost out of nowhere, B pulled out a joint from his pocket, lighting it up. He brought it to his lips, taking a drag in a single effortless movement. Once he finished, he passed it to Mello who took a leisurely drag, letting the pale smoke whoosh out of his mouth in a slow breath. He closed his eyes in bliss before handing the joint onto Matt who, being the most avid smoker out of us all, took the longest drag I had ever seen, holding the smoke in his system for about ten seconds before finally breathing out through his nose, the smoke curling around his head before dissipating into the air. Almost completely unaffected, he nudged Near with his foot, passing the blunt to the snowy haired, may I reiterate, FOURTEEN YEAR OLD. Though he would seem like the type to avoid smoking, he partook in the action whenever the chance like this ever came about. He held the joint expertly in between his fingers, bringing it to his pale lips and absentmindedly breathed in, acting as stoic and neutral as always. He lifted his head to gaze at the ceiling, letting the smoke flow out in a steady stream. Finally, _finally, _he passed the blunt to me.

I took it in my fingers, looking it for a moment. I had told Light a while ago that I used to smoke, but then I stopped, but I never told him what I smoked, he assumed it was cigarettes. In truth, I used to smoke weed almost every other day up until a few years ago. At first I claimed it helped me work by increasing my attention to smaller details in different cases, but then it just became a habit. An addicting habit. I had sworn to myself that I would never do it again, but here I was, not even resisting the urge.

Without even thinking I brought it up to my mouth, taking a long and slow drag from it. The smoke flooded my head and I allowed it to fill my lungs, letting it gradually numb my senses. I felt my head swing over to glance at B and Mello, they were talking but I couldn't make out what they were saying because their voices sounded too far away even though they were inches from me. I could tell they were starting to slip into their 'chill mode', their jokes becoming a bit more random and drawled out. The edges of my vision began to haze pleasantly as mundane things like embarrassment started to slip away, being replaced by complete and utter relaxation. Time slowed to a comfortable crawl, and I had completely forgotten that Light was under me until he tapped my shoulder. Or at least I think he tapped my shoulder, it could have been a punch and I wouldn't have known the difference right then.

"Hey L can I try some of that?" He asked, his voice weaving in and out of clarity but I felt myself nod and languidly pass the joint to him. He simply gazed at it for a moment and I remember thinking about how he would react to smoking pot for the first time. He attempted to take a natural drag like he had seen the rest of do minutes before but he inhaled the wrong way, causing him to break out in a violent coughing fit. "What…the...hell!" he sputtered, pounding his chest as if that would ease the burning fire he probably felt in his lungs. "How can you stand this, it's defective!" I laughed at this, my voice slightly delayed and warped sounding.

"It's not defective," I pointed out, "you're just smoking it wrong." To show him how it was done, I leaned down to the joint between his fingers which was only centimeters from his mouth. I took the blunt between my lips, inhaling deeply before softly blowing the smoke into Light's face. He scrunched his nose up in disdain, trying again. He obviously didn't want to be one upped by me, his damn pride. This time however, he managed to hold down some smoke, coughing much less than the first time. Mello reached over and gave Light a strong pat on the back.

"So pretty rich boy is lyin' down with the dogs tonight?" He grinned lopsidedly and Light grinned back and nodded stupidly, albeit adorably. "If that's the case, what say we play a little game?" Mello's grin turned slightly naughty, a face much more mature than anyone else his age. Even though I knew that this game couldn't and wouldn't lead to anywhere good, I felt myself nod, my head moving on its own accord. Light nodded eagerly, his slightly glazed over eyes alight with a childlike excitement. B was in by default as always, Near murmured his agreement and Matt actually put his game away in order to play Mello's.

"So what game are we playing this time Mello?" Matt asked, his voice laid-back. Mello smirked in a way that made me instantly suspicious.

"How about 'Baby If You Love Me, You'll Smile'?" He suggested. B cracked up at this, throwing his head back.

"Dude do have any idea how long it's been since I played that? Fuck yeah I'm in." As if on queue, everyone separated and spread out in a circle on the floor. I hopped from Light's lap to sit beside Near across from the couch where Light was sitting. Light cocked his head, confused.

"What's that game you were talking about? How do you play?" he asked stumbling out of his seat to the floor to join the circle. Mello leaned back on his elbows, looking up Light.

"Well since you've obviously never played it, I'll give you the long winded explanation. Pretty much we all sit in a circle facing inward. One member of the group is 'it.' The objective is for this person to make another smile. He goes around the circle, picks a person, kneels, and asks him or her, 'Baby, if you love me, would you please smile?' The person must respond with, 'Baby, I love you, but I just can't smile,' without smiling. If he or she smiles, that person becomes 'it', replacing the first. If the person 'it' does not convince a person to smile, he or she must approach another until he or she does. The person 'it' may do any gestures he or she wants to make the person smile. Now usually you aren't allowed to touch the person, but we don't play it that way." Mello raised his eyebrows suggestively. I rolled my eyes and pulled my legs into my chest, absentmindedly scratching my arm. Light squirmed a bit but nodded, willing to play. Mello stood up, rolling his shoulders.

"I'll go first for a demonstration." He said, scanning our group. Near was a master at this game, he never smiled. Ever. Matt was second, it took a lot more to make him smile but if Mello was the one 'it', after a few minutes he eventually cracked a grin. I was superior at masking my emotions but when someone decides to try and tickle you to death while straddling you on the floor, you'd laugh too. B was the easiest to make smile, it was almost too easy. He'd start grinning like a maniac even before you started talking so he wasn't much fun to play with but still entertaining. Mello decided to try Matt first, obviously, prompting Light with his eyes to watch as he strutted his stuff so to speak over to his partner. He kneeled down so that he was eye level with the red head, his eyes half lidded in a sexual fashion. He leaned close to Matt's neck, resting a hand on the red head's cheek.

"Baby," he murmured, "if you love me, won't you please smile?" For affect, he gave Matt's neck a soft nip, making him yelp. His eyes widened but his face remained otherwise inert. He took a deep breath before replying.

"Baby, I love you, but I just can't smile." He said with only slight hesitation, giving Mello a quick peck on the cheek. Mello half smiled half scowled and braced against his knees to stand, hand on his hip as he turned to Light.

"So there you go, Matt didn't smile so now I have to look for someone else to make smile. I'll try you. I'm gonna do everything I can to make you crack a smile and you gotta try not to, 'kay?" He said, raising his eyebrows as he waited for Light to prepare himself. Once Light gave his nod of consent, Mello began his approach. He took it easy at first, stooping down to start at eyelevel and simply resting his hand on Light's arm. I watched the most intensely sincere expression wash over Mello's face, his cerulean eyes boring into Light's mahogany ones.

"Baby, if you love me, you'll smile." He said, his voice dripping with almost achingly plausible honesty. Despite this, Light's face was perfectly smooth and unaffected. His eyes practically matched Mello's in sincerity (despite the slight glaze over his eyes) as he placed a hand on Mello's shoulder.

"Baby, I love you, but I just can't smile." He said effortlessly. I was thoroughly impressed. I had never seen anyone who had never played the game not smile on their first turn. Mello was obviously upset after two failed attempts and decided on a quick way out with B, who burst out laughing in 4.3 seconds. The next few minutes were a huge blur, the weed somehow creating a big time gap in my memory but somehow I was landed with Light being 'it' and him coming straight for me. Oh God.

* * *

**Ok, ok, I realize this was a really, really bad place to stop but I had to; I didn't want this ending up to be an enormous chapter! Anyway hope you enjoyed this first taste of the party, the next chappy should be more lemon-y, keyword SHOULD I'm not sure where to place everything but rest assured there WILL be lemon eventually! The whole weed situation might be inaccurate; I don't do drugs or anything so I don't know how quickly it works or how it really feels to be high or slightly high or anything of the sort. If anyone out there DOES do weed and whatnot, did I get it at least partially correct? Reviews from all would be lovely! ~ ^_^**


	11. Baby If You Love Me You'll Smile Pt 2

**Hey e****veryone back, sorry this one took so long to get this chapter up, I actually had to sit in my room without any music and just write to eventually get this done and I did! As I mentioned I went to my first anime convention (it was amazing by the way) and found a love for at least 5 different new animes. SO I've been watching them like crazy over the past week! My favorites so far are Soul Eater (got to meet/talk with Micah Solusod, voice of Soul, super amazing guy!) and Hetalia. Awesome animes. Plus I met Brina Palencia the voice of Ciel Phantomhive, I was completely star struck for a few moments, Black Butler is one of my all time favorite animes (nothing can come close to Death Note though ^^) and I got her to sign a picture I drew of Ciel a while back and this stuffed platypus I bought at the con :P She's also an amazing person! …Ummm yeah sorry for talking so much, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Warnings: Language, nudity (YES!), and sex (although it doesn't go into detail, sorry! ^_^;;)**

***DISSSSSSCLAAAAIIIMMMMERRRRRR***

**P.S. And Misa is still a bitch. That is all.**

**P.P.S I apoligize in advance for all the line breaks. Seriously there are quite a bit in there.**

* * *

Every purposeful swish of his hips, every sultry lick of his lips sent shockwaves down my spine. In the short distance it was to me from across the circle, Light seemed to make the time pass in an achingly slow crawl. His eyes were locked on mine, never leaving them for a second as he began to strip his suit jacket and tie in the most erotic way I had ever seen, twirling the jacket over his head before discarding it on the ground like a useless paper bag, letting it slip through his fingers without a second thought. I swallowed hard as his nimble fingers began to slowly, _slowly_, unbutton his red satin shirt, his eyes half lidded in a way that said, 'you wish you were doing this', and oh how I wish I had been. I'm not sure what it was but for some reason I wasn't embarrassed one bit.

The vague thought flitted past my mind about when I was talking to Light about my drawings of those French girls I had done a while back. I had talked about it like it was such a casual thing but when I had been drawing; I was blushing the entire time though most of them, I almost didn't look up to continue sometimes. It had been part of my vain attempt to socialize myself years ago which had crashed and burned. In fact, when Light had been looking at them was the first time I had laid eyes on them in years. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt something press against my thigh.

Light had kneeled down and was now straddling my lap, pinning my legs down between his own, preventing me from scooting away even an inch. My eyes widened at the fact that he was leaning on me slightly, our chests pressed together in a way that wasn't easy to brush off as simply an innocent gesture. I swallowed hard once again as Light wrapped the necktie he still held in his hand around my neck, gingerly pulling my face toward his and again preventing me from moving away. I could feel Light's warm breath on my neck as I turned my head away from meeting his sight, I could also feel myself trembling involuntarily under his touch. Light leaned forward and let his lips graze over the nape of my neck and my eyes widened as they flicked around the room to look for anything, anything that would save me from having to surrender to Light's gaze. If I didn't look away, I knew I would be under his complete and utter submission. That was why my breath hitched in my throat when I heard Light's voice rumble against my neck.

"Baby," he whispered, "if you really love me, you'll smile." My lips parted as if to respond, but I stayed silent nonetheless. This obviously didn't satisfy Light because the moment I failed to speak, he ground his hips down on my now painfully hard erection, making me gasp out loud.

"No don't!" I gasped in a voice that didn't sound like my own. It sounded young, weak, and pathetic even to my own ears. I needed to gain control of the situation, quickly. I could tell this was going to turn into much more than a game and I was becoming more and more aware of our audience, the audience being my brothers, who were watching us with such sickly attentive pleasure that it chilled me to the bone "Light," I murmured to him alone, mustering up all the self control in my body, "might we…continue this somewhere else?" I felt Light grin against the vulnerable skin of my neck and he chuckled.

"Lead the way."

* * *

We soon found ourselves back in Light's room. After murmuring some quick and hushed goodbyes to Mello and the others, Light practically dragged me back to his room, clutching my hand in his so tightly I thought it would snap in two. He led me though the first class hallways until we got to the doorway of his room. It was only then where he seemed to worry if anyone was watching because he glanced around the hallway once, twice, three times before sliding in the silver key that opened the door. We slid inside the darkened room and Light let go of my hand, padding over a few feet away to flick on a low lamp. I was almost overwhelmed by the opulence of the room, beautiful woodwork and satin upholstery emerging from the darkness. The room was far bigger than the one I shared with my brothers, about three times the size and with a rather impressive walk-in closet as well. Before I even knew he left, Light can from behind a corner in the closet, a sketchbook and a few charcoal pencils in hand. He held them out to me and I took them, a bit confused.

"And what are these for—"

"Will this light do? Don't artists need good light?" Light cut me off softly, trying to adjust some of the lamps, turning some on and some others off. I smiled, walking around the room to run my finger along the delicate molding of the marble fireplace.

"Zat is true, but I am not used to working in such 'orreeble conditions." I drawled in a terrible French accent. I held up my finger that I had run along the stone, there wasn't a single speck of dust on it. Before Light could respond a stack of paintings caught my eye, by an artist I knew instantly. "Hey, Monet!" I murmured, crouching down next to the paintings stacked against the wall by the closet. I let my fingers flit across the painted canvas, as light as a bird's feather. I noticed the worn colors, and the smudging signature toward the bottom right corner; my eyes widened as I turned to Light. "Are these…originals?" Light nodded, smiling.

"We were transporting them back to America to our summer house. We've had them for ages it seems. Father doesn't think much of them but I just love Monet's use of color. Besides those paintings are all my mother left…" His voice tapered off as his gaze shifted to the ground, as if he was absorbed in a poignant memory. He shook his head once, his eyes brightening, and a softer smile on his face. He walked away back into the adjoining walk-in wardrobe closet and I followed him as he knelt down to rummage deeper into the clothes to something hidden. I heard the familiar clicking of a combination being worked on and tried to peek over Light's shoulder to see what he was trying to unlock but there wasn't enough light.

"Misa insists on lugging this damn thing everywhere." The name of the woman drops into my brain with a 'chunk'. I had almost forgotten about her.

"Speaking of, should I be expecting her anytime soon?" Light's chuckle came out muffled from under the clothes.

"Not as long as the cigars and brandy hold out." I nodded absentmindedly until I heard a strident 'click!' Light unlocked the safe. In a moment he was scooting backwards, standing up in front of me in the closet. What he held in his hand was simply... magnificent. It was a crown made of the finest gold that I had ever seen. Intricate handcrafted designs that took the steady hand of an extremely skilled artisan were etched into its rustic surface, pearls, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds were studded along the base, glinting brilliantly whenever Light scarcely moved his hands. The sheer wealth that radiated from every inch was insurmountable. He held it out to me and I gaped at him for a moment before taking it nervously. The fur on the interior was downy soft, call me cliché but it literally felt as if I were touching a cloud.

"Where did you get this?" I breathed, unable to take my eyes off the crown. Light cocked his head, his brow furrowing.

"It belonged to The Stuarts, King James I to be exact, during his reign back in 1603. My family has had dealings with British royalty for generations upon generations; my father is the current prime minister of Japan after all, his father before he and the family tree keeps going. This crown was given to us as a gift by the Stuarts, I'm not sure why they'd want to give this up but it's been passed down my family line for generations and now it's my turn I suppose. I don't want it though, it's far too ostentatious. Besides, when am I ever going to need to wear this other than tonight?" My mouth had fallen open by this pint as I soaked in all the information Light had given me. His father…was the prime minister… of Japan? And the crown, oh the crown must have been over 400 years old at the time, and there I was, holding it in my grubby hands? But then something else Light had said dropped into my mind. Other than tonight…? I glanced back up at Light whose eyes were closed just slightly in an expression I didn't identify with.

"L, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls. Wearing this." He gently took the crown back from my fingers, and he smiled at me. "Wearing only this." My eyes widened to the size of saucers at his request, finally understanding why he had given me the sketchbook a while earlier. I nodded numbly, realizing what he wanted and Light's smile widened, tweaking my nose quickly and disappearing into the bathroom that I hadn't yet seen, leaving me in a confused haze. Light wanted me to…what? For some reason my brain just wouldn't compute until I heard Light call out to me from the washroom asking if I was ready for him. Dear God he wasn't making this any easier.

After I finally snapped out of my stupor, I began to quickly lay out the room in the way that I deemed appropriate, the artist in me taking over as I moved couches and end tables around in a way that would be flattering towards Light. In the end I decided on making a provisional throne, pushing one of the antique sitting chairs that were in the living room closer to a window where the moonlight was filtering through. I draped one of the extra silk sheets in the linen closet over the seat of the 'throne', leaving one end to flow freely onto the floor, pooling around the legs of the chair.

I found a few vases of roses, deciding that it would be safe to use them for the picture, ripping off some of the buds and scattering them around the floor around the chair in clumps, some of the loose petals falling wherever they wished. One the other hand I kept some of the roses on their stems, warping the thin and flexible rods to twist around the side of the throne and having the bud rest at the top, reaching out towards the moonlight illuminating the room since I had turned the lights off. The moonlight shrouded part of the chair in darkness, some of it was lit brightly in an asymmetrical division which I think added a nice touch. I fashioned a staff for Light to hold, and then finally with more than slight hesitation, added a few rose buds to the crown and set the circlet on an end table close to the chair throne. Adding a few final touches, I turned toward the bathroom door.

"Alright Light," I called softly, "everything is ready now." After a few moments the door creaked open, and I snapped my head up towards the sound. I had layed out my pencils like surgical tools, my sketchbook open and ready. Light appeared from behind the doorway, only half of his body available for my view. I noticed he had slipped on a thin silk kimono. I swallowed slightly as he sauntered from behind the door, time slowing to an agonizingly slow crawl as he padded over to me with something clutched in his hand.

"The last thing I need is another picture of me looking like some china doll. As a paying customer, I expect to get what I want." He flipped the dime to me, letting it land softly into my hand as I try to keep the air moving through my lungs. Light faced me head on, slipping the robe off his shoulders in a tantalizing fashion, revealing his caramel tanned skin inch by inch until he finally let the garment drop to the floor in one quick movement. I swallowed again, harder than before as I assessed (more like gazed hungrily) Light's body trying to decide what to do next.

The room was dark, really the only lights were to broad moonlight filtering in through the window behind the 'throne' and the small table lamp I had set up beside my chair so that I could see my sketchbook as I drew. After a few seconds I had to avert my eyes from Light's frame as my eyes began to surreptitiously drift lower and lower on his body.

Luckily Light finally turned, to observe the set up I had made for the picture. I could see his arms bend in front of him as he cocked his head and rested one hand on his cheek.

"I really do like what you've done here, am I supposed to be a king?" he asked, turning his head half way to look back at me. I nodded, walking forward to show him.

"Yes, I thought since you had the crown it would fit. Now if you could sit down there, I guess I'll begin." I tried to be as professional as possible but _my GOD _he had a fit backside. Light chuckled as if he could feel my eyes on him as he walked over to the seat, his feet making almost no sound as he made his way across the room. He picked up the crown and delicately rested it on his head, for a moment I almost thought he was a king as he sat in his throne, looking out at me expectantly. I decided to sit down in my own chair, picking up one of the many charcoal pencils. Here we go.

"Ok now just tell me what looks right to you." Light called, crossing his legs subconsciously. I squinted for a moment.

"Right there, don't uncross your legs okay?" I said, and Light nodded. It was a good position to start with, that and I wouldn't be more distracted with that was between Light's legs. "Now just clench your hand into a loose fist…there we go, and rest it on your cheek like that. Tilt your head up and to the right just a little aaaaand stop. Ok now just close your eyes the slightest bit, to give you a look of contempt you know?" I directed Light in every position, his movements were fluid and he followed my directions easily. "Ok just let your other hand rest on the arm of the chair, letting your fingers just dangle freely." I smiled at the fact that he did look very much like a king, this was going to be a very good picture.

"Am I ready?" Light asked, cracking a slight smile. I frowned.

"No smiling okay? Relax your face and just keep your eyes to me." I chided softly and Light nodded minutely, relaxing as I told him. With that, I began to sketch. A few seconds in I dropped my pencil and I heard Light stifle a laugh.

"I believe you are blushing, Mr. Big Artiste. I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing." He teased and I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my neck.

"He does landscapes." I deadpanned, rolling my eyes in a futile attempt to mask my edginess. Light kept quiet after that which I was immensely grateful for. I looked up at Light over the top of my sketchpad, drawing with sure strokes despite my nervousness. This was the only time I'd ever be able to simply gaze at Light's body without prejudice to I took it for all it was worth. Branding the sight of his taut muscles and tanned skin into my brain, the slight sheen of moonlight that danced across his skin.

In the end, what emerged was the best sketch I had ever done. His pose was languid, his expression beautiful, and his eyes radiated his energy. Light leaned over my shoulder, wearing his robe again, as he watched me sign the drawing.

"Make sure to date it, L, I always want to remember this night." And I did, 4/14/2014. Meanwhile, Light walked away from me, over to a desk to scribble something down on a sheet of Titanic stationary. I craned my head from my chair, being nosy.

"What are you writing?" I inquired. I watched Light smirk from under his bangs and he left my question unanswered. I brushed it off as he walked back over to me, accepting the drawing.

"Thank you, L." he said simply, leaning close to me to plant a chaste kiss on my lips. When his lips departed mine followed involuntarily, yearning for more even though I couldn't have it. Light smiled and left me for a few moments to go back to the closet, the crown, his drawing, and the mysterious (well mysterious to me) message to put them presumably back in the safe. I heard the safe door close with a CLUNK! And that was that.

* * *

Officer Guilford entered from the Palm Court through the revolving doors and crossed the room toward Misa. A fire was blazing in the marble fireplace, and the usual men were playing cards, drinking and talking. Misa spotted Guilford and detached herself from her group, going to meet him.

"None of the stewards have seen him." Guilford said, obviously upset. Not over the fact that Light was missing, but about the fact of what Misa would do to him if he didn't show results soon.

"This is ridiculous, Guilford!" Misa hissed, her voice low but forceful. "It's a ship; there are only so many places he could be! Find him."

* * *

The Titanic was gliding across an unnatural sea, black and calm as a pool of oil. The ship's lights are mirrored almost perfectly in the black water, and the sky was brilliant with stars. A meteor traced a bright line across the heavens. On the bridge, Captain Bartley was peering out at the blackness ahead of the ship. Quartermaster Hitchins brought him a cup of hot tea with lemon and it steams in the bitter cold of the open bridge. Second Officer Lightoller was standing next to him, staring out at the sheet of black glass the ocean had become.

"I don't think I've ever seen such flat calm, in 24 years at sea." Lightoller breathed softly, reaching up to blow a warm breath into his hands to keep them warm. Bartley nodded, stirring his tea.

"Yes, like a mill pond. Not a breath of wind." He hummed. Lightoller cast him a sidelong glance.

"It'll make the bergs harder to see, with no breaking water at the base." He warned, but Bartley didn't seem too worried about it. He took a sip from his cup.

"Hmm." He murmured idly. "Well I'm off, maintain speed and heading, Mr. Lightoller." He ordered over his shoulder as he walked back to his quarters. "And wake me, of course, it anything becomes in the slightest doubtful." Lightoller ground his teeth slightly but nodded to the captain's back.

"Yes sir."

* * *

Light, unfortunately for me fully dressed, returned to me in the sitting room. Both of our heads snapped towards the door at the sound of a key in the lock. Quickly, Light took my hand, guiding me from the chair I was sitting in and leading me silently through the various bedrooms.

"Light? Hello?" The voice belonged to Guilford and Light felt a trickle of sweat go down his neck. That was the man Misa had sent after him to keep tabs on him. At the time we were hiding close to a door that opened to an outside hallway, our bodies pressed up against the wall.'

"We're going out this way L." Light whispered into my ear and I had to suppress a shiver that ricocheted down my spine. I kept to a minute nod, following Light's lead as he opened the door and slipped out with silent ease. Once out, he led me quickly along the corridor toward the B deck foyer. We were so close, _so close_, to freedom until we heard the sitting room door and Guilford stepped out. He spotted us easily and began to hustle after us, about to open his mouth to yell something.

"Come on!" Light yelped and we broke into a run, surprising a few ladies and gentlemen around his. Light led me past the stairs to the bank of the elevators and ran into an open one, scaring the hell out of the operator. I was slightly taken aback by the fact that they had fucking elevator operators for the first class guests but I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different.

"Take us down. Quickly, quickly!" Light commanded, already breathing hard. I tried not to laugh as the poor operator scrambled to comply, I even helped him out by closing the doors a little quicker as if that would have helped at all. Guilford ran up right as the doors were closing and Light smirked, flipping him a very obvious bird. I burst out laughing that time, the operator gaping at us.

After evading Guilford once again (the stupid dolt), Light and I found ourselves in a functional space, with access to a number of machine spaces (fan room, boiler uptakes, etc.). We were leaning up against the wall, laughing.

"Damn this guy is pretty touch for a valet." I heaved, grinning like an idiot. Light nodded, also breathless.

"He's and ex-mafia member if you can believe it. Misa's father hired him to keep Misa out of trouble…to make sure she always got back to the hotel with her wallet and watch after some crawl through the less reputable parts of town…" he explained, catching his breath.

"Kind of like what we're doing right—shit!" I yelped, pointing down the hallway to where a very pissed off Officer Guilford was standing. "Come on this way!" I laughed, practically tripping over my feet as we ran around a corner into a blind alley. There was only one door marked CREW ONLY, but I flung it open regardless.

We entered a roaring ran room, with no way out but a ladder going down. In a quick movement I latched the deadbolt on the door we had come through, Guildford slamming against it a moment later. I grinned at Light, pointing to the ladder.

"After you, sir." I drawled and Light chuckled, sliding down the ladder in a way that wasn't easy to do with both feet braced against the side rather than using the steps. How the hell had he done that? I shrugged inwardly and used the steps, eventually jumping off when it got to be too tedious. We came down the escape ladder and looked around in amazement. It was like a vision of hell itself, with roaring furnaces and black figures moving in the smoky glow. We ran the length of the boiler room, dodging amazed stokers, and trimmers with their wheelbarrows of coal.

"Carry on, don't mind us!" I yelled over the din. "You're all doing a wonderful job!"

We ran through the open watertight door into what looked to be another boiler room and I tugged a hesitant Light though a fiercely hot alley between two boilers and we wound up in the dark, out of sight of the working crew. Watching from the shadows, we saw the stokers working in the hellish glow, shoveling coal into the insatiable maws of the furnaces. The whole place was thundering with the roar of the fires.

* * *

Back in the first class smoking room, Misa and her comrades sat at a card game, amid unparalled luxury. She sipped at her brandy, turning her head away from to David McGuire who happened to be talking.

"We're going like hell I tell you. I have fifty dollars that says we make it into Los Angeles by Tuesday night!" Misa rolled her eyes to herself, taking out her iPhone from her purse and scowls at the time. _Damn Officer Guilford, the incompetent fool…_

* * *

The furnaces roared, silhouetting the glistening stokers. I kissed Light's face, tasking the sweat trickling down from his forehead. Light smiled and captured my lips with his, as we kissed passionately in the steaming, pounding darkness.

Eventually we found our way out of the boiler room and into a holding deck under the ship, both practically high on adrenaline. We laughed like idiots, running between rows of stacked cargo. It was much cooler there than in the boiler room and Light hugged himself against the sudden cold air after the dripping heat of the boiler room. We cam upon what looked to be a brand new Renault touring car, lashing down to a pallet. It looks like a royal coach form a fairy tale, its brass trim and headlights nicely set off by its deep burgundy color.

Light climbed into the plushy upholstered back seat, acting like the king I had drawn him to be only a few minutes previous. There were cut crystal bud vases on the walls back there, each containing a delicate white rose. I jumped into the driver's seat, enjoying the feel of the leather and wood. I pretended to tip my hat as I turned my head sideways to address Light.

"Where to, Sir?" I said, honking the horn once. I felt Light's smile on me and I was about to fully turn when he answered.

"To the stars." He murmured, his hands suddenly coming out of the shadows and pulling me over the seat into the back. I landed hard next to his, my breath seeming louder in the quiet darkness. I looked at him and he was still smiling. It was the moment of truth.

"Are you nervous?" I said, my voice automatically dropping into a soft hum.

"Not at all." Light smiled softly at me, a complete sense vulnerability and trust wash over his face in such a way that it made me feel…guilty for no reason at all. I stroked his face, cherishing him, brushing his hair from his eyes. This beautiful man. This pulchritudinous angel. Why was I the one he chose to be with? Me, L Lawliet. I wondered vaguely about how this kind of thing only happened in stories and movies, where the rich guy falls in love with the poor girl (or in our case, poor boy), that's just not how real life works. It just…doesn't. And it shouldn't be happening now, but I couldn't and wouldn't do anything to change it at this point. I was already in way to deep to turn back.

Light kissed my artist's fingers.

"I…love you L." he murmured, a dark blush spreading across his cheeks. I felt my heart give a squeeze and I shut my eyes, trying to wake myself up from this dream, because I knew that was what is was, a dream. A very well conjured one at that. I knew that when I opened my eyes, I would be in my bed, in my little house in Japan, living the same mundane lifestyle as I, L Lawliet had always lived. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Light was still there, gazing at me with those unfathomably trusting eyes. My heart constricted harder and I plunged forward, kissing Light with all the passion and love I could muster. Even though I never actually said the words 'I love you', I know he could feel it. Light wrapped his arms around my neck and slid down in the seat under my welcomed weight as we continued our voyage to the heavens.

* * *

My coat acted like a blanket over us and it stirs as Light pulled it down. We were huddled underneath it, intertwined, still mostly clothed. Our faces were flushed as we gazed at each other wonderingly. I put my hand on Light's face, as if to make sure he was real and still there.

"Light, you're trembling." I whispered worriedly, my breathing labored. Light smiled sleepily, blinked slowly up at me.

"It's okay, I'm alright." He murmured, pulling my head down to rest on his chest. I gratefully acquiesced, laying my cheek against his smooth bare chest.

"I can feel your heart beating." I breathed incoherently. Light doesn't respond but hugs my head in his hands, just holding on for dear life.

* * *

Misa was standing at the open safe, staring down at the drawing of Light and her face clenched with fury. She read the note again: "Dear, now you can keep both of us locked in your safe, Light." Guilford, standing behind her, looks over her shoulder at the drawing. Misa crumpled Light's note, then takes the drawing in both hands as if to rip it in half. She tensed to do it, but then stopped herself. A crookedly sinister smile dances across her lips.

"I've got a better idea…"

* * *

Two stewards enter the holding deck where Light and I had just been. They held flashlights and played the beams around the hold, probably sent by Guilford to catch us. They spotted the Renault, with one door slightly ajar and approached it slowly. One of the stewards whipped open the door, only to find the back seat completely empty. Fools.

Light and I were completely dressed as we cam through a crew door onto the deck. We were laughing so hard we could barely stand. I wrapped my arms around Light's torso in a soft hug, and Light returns the favor, his body pressed against mine. Our breath clouded around us in the now freezing air, but we didn't even feel the cold. I glanced up to a determined expression in Light's eyes.

"When this ship docks, I'm getting off with you." He said, his mind completely made up. My breath caught in my throat as I remembered my words from earlier that day of my aspirations of living in America.

"But that's absolutely insane!" I exclaimed, my eyes practically jumping out of my skull. "You've got so much going for you if you stay, everything you could ever want! Money, power, everything! Why would you throw it away for someone like me—" I was suddenly silenced my Light's finger as he pressed it to my lips mid-rant.

"Some one like you? L I love you! And besides, what future do I have here? To become some bitch's subjugated lapdog for the rest of my life, forever tied to her by the leash of unwanted matrimony? I want to be with you L. I know it's insane and completely irrational and hat it doesn't make any sense. That's why I trust it. I trust you L."

At that point I was at my breaking point. I wasn't sure what was about to break but whatever it was didn't give me leave to speak a single word. Instead I pulled Light to me, kissing him fiercely, trying to convey all my feelings into this one kiss. Right then I knew something was going to change. I wasn't sure what exactly it was at the time, but something in my gut told me it wouldn't be good. But for that moment, I just wanted to savor Light for as long as I could, to have something, for once in my life that went right.

* * *

**I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE LINE BREAKS! It was nesscessary to switch from one view to another without it being strange.*Sigh* I'm not exactly satisfied with this chapter, it feels…empty, like there's something missing. I'm not sure what. Either way, what'd you think? Getting closer and closer to the iceberg! *and queue Jaws theme music* that bit is going to be a joy to write, although there are still a few events that have to happen before the ship sinks so stay tuned! Anyway I hope you enjoyed this installment, and I'm sorry if the drawing scene thing was a bit…awkward lol. Ok I'm going to go, to probably get started on the next chapter, reviews would be marvelous (plus they'd make me want to update quicker…)! Until next time!**

**~Lawlietfan347 ^_^**


	12. Stage 1: Brace for Impact

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaackk! Another chapter up, and the iceberg hits this time! It's getting exciting! Sorry I've been gone (*cough writinganotherstory *cough*) but I finally made myself get up off my lazy ass and get to another chapter of this one. Firstly, I apologize for the awkward wording in this chapter, I was trying to keep it first person with L while going off to explain from the point of other side characters such as the ship's crew, and then flopping back to L and Light. It's confusing to me but I guess it was necessary *shrug* Anyway, hope you enjoy this next little installment!**

**Warnings: Language as usual**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

Overhead in the crow's nest, a Mr. Jonathan Fleet and Mr. Kip Lee, the watchmen for the night, were semi-vigilantly watching for any trouble that might be approaching the ship. Nothing had been happening all night and they were almost certain that they would have an easy shift which in turn made them lackadaisical.

"Oi, Kip," Fleet murmured, nudging Lee, "look at that would ya." The men glanced over the edge of their tower down to see two distinctively male figures who seemed to be very close together. Lee chuckled, a wry smile on his face.

"They're a bloody sight warmer than we are." He said. Fleet glanced back down at the couple.

"Well if that's what it takes to get warm, I'd rather not, if it's all the same." Fleet quipped, letting them both have a good laugh at that one. "You know I can smell when ice is coming." He said randomly, just trying to make conversation. Lee laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever you say, mate." Fleet laughed as well, blowing a warm breath into his fingers to keep them warm. Everything was pleasant. Calm sea, crisp cold air, everything was as is should have been. Titanic would make the front page by surprising everyone by getting to the U.S. on Tuesday, a grand report for its first maiden voyage. And through all this calm, it was Fleet's expression whose falls first. He glanced forward again, doing a double take. In the blink of an eye, all the color drained from his face and shot down to his toes. What he saw would ultimately alter his fate, as well as the fate of everyone on board, forever. Directly in their path, floated a massive iceberg, only 500 yards away.

"Holy shit!" Fleet shouted, reaching past Lee's stunned body to ring the lookout bell three times before snatching the telephone from its holster, calling the bridge. He waited, precious seconds ticking by before the phone was picked up, never taking his eyes off the black mass ahead. "Pick up you bastard!"

Inside the enclosed wheelhouse, sixth officer Moody walked unhurriedly to the telephone, picking it up.

"Is someone there?" Fleet shouted into the receiver. Moody blinked, wishing the over dramatic man would calm down and speak normally.

"Yes. What do you see?" Moody replied, trying not to roll his eyes.

"Iceberg right ahead!" Fleet practically screeched, causing Moody to actually stiffen, a new air of urgency washing over him.

"Thank you." He said quickly, hanging up the watchtower phone. Moody whipped his head to one of the other commanding officers, Officer Lloyd, trying to remain as calm as possible. "Iceberg right ahead sir!" Lloyd nodded and peered over the side of the ship and spotted the iceberg, now even closer than before and rushed to the engine room telegraph. While signaling "full speed astern", he yelled out the doorway to Quartermaster Hitchins, who was manning the wheel.

"Hard a' starboard." Lloyd commanded quickly. Moody who was standing behind Hitchins nodded curtly.

"Hard a' starboard. The helm is hard over, sir."

Chief engineer Bell was just checking on the soup he had been warming on a steam manifold when the engine telegraph clanged, then went, incredibly, to full speed astern. He and the other engineers just stared at it, unbelieving, until Bell reacted suddenly.

"Full astern! FULL ASTER!" he yelled at the other engineers who act like madmen trying to close steam valves and start braking the mighty propeller shafts, as big as sequoias, to a stop.

In the boiler room, Lead Stoker Frederick Barret with second Engineer James Hesketh when the red warning light and "stop" indicator came on.

"Shut all the dampers! Shut 'em!" Barret barked, the other workers scrambling to comply.

From the bridge, Lloyd watched the burg growing, straight ahead. The bow finally started to go left, his jaw clenching as the bow turned with agonizing slowness. His held his breath as the horrible physics played out. Up in the crow's nest Fleet and Lee braced themselves for the inevitable blow that was to come in 3….2….1...

KRUUUUUUNCH! The ship struck the berg on its starboard bow.

From under the water, the iceberg bumped and scraped along the side of the ship, its claws raking along the boat, popping rivets and causing the steel plate of the hull to flex under the load.

In the holding deck where Light and I were just a few minutes previous, the two stewards sent after them staggered as the hull buckled in four feet with a sound like thunder. Like a sledgehammer beating along outside the ship, the berg split the hull plates allowing the sea water to flood in, sweeping them off their feet. The icy water swirled around the Renault as the men scrambled for the stairs.

In the boiler room, Barret and Hesketh staggered as they heard the rolling thunder of the collision. They saw the starboard side of the ship buckle in toward them and were almost swept off their feet by a rush of water coming in about two feet above the floor.

On the forward well deck Light and I broke our kiss and looked up in astonishment as the berg sailed past, blocking out the sky like a mountain. Fragments broke off it and crashed down onto the deck, and we jumped back, trying to avoid the chunks of ice.

"What the hell?" Light exclaimed, his eyes wide. Above, Fleet and Lee droop in relief and Fleet sighed happily, gazing at the iceberg as we sailed past it.

"Oi, mate…that was a close shave." He said, smiling wryly. Lee clenched his teeth, reaching forward to clutch the front of Fleet's jacket.

"Smell ice, can you? Bleedin' Christ!" He said, releasing the other man's shirt in exasperation. And turning away to keep a closer eye on the ocean, as if another berg would materialize at any moment.

The alarm bells were still clattering mindlessly, seeming to reflect Lloyd's inner state. He was in shock, still unable to get a firm grip on what had just happened. He jut ran the biggest ship in history into an iceberg on its maiden voyage… Stiffly, he turned to Moody.

"Note the time, enter it in the log." He said, his voice monotone. Suddenly Captain Bartley came rushing out of his cabin and onto the bridge, tucking in his shirt.

"What was that, Mr. Lloyd?" he demanded, his eyes steely. Lloyd tried to keep the bile from rising in his throat at his failure; his face had long gone pallid.

"An iceberg, sir. I put her hard a' starboard and run the engines full astern but it was too close. I tried to port around it, but she hit…and I—"

"Close the emergency doors." Bartley barked, cutting him off.

"The doors are closed." Lloyd replied, feeling a bit dizzy. Together they rushed out into the starboard wing, and Lloyd pointed approximately where the ship was struck. Bartley looked into the darkness aft, and then wheeled around to the Fourth Officer Bohall.

"Find the carpenter and get him to sound the ship."

* * *

Back in the second class section of the boat, Near, still in his nightclothes, scuttled out into the hall to see what was going on. He felt the shudder and shot straight up in bed, unable to sleep. Rats and even spiders were running toward him in the corridor, fleeing the flooding bow. He jumped aside as they ran by.

"What the…hell?" Near cocked his head to the side, clutching Nui-chan closer to his chest. Something crashed to the floor behind him from the doorway and Near whipped around to see Mello stumbling around in the dark, half awake.

"What the hell is going on, Near, why the fuck is the door open at—" He glanced over the digital clock on the nightstand, "1 am?" He spotted the rats and spiders running outside in the hallway and his eyes opened as wide as saucers. He was awake now. "Near get away from the doorway, rats carry diseases you dumbass!" Mello launched forward, yanking Near back by the forearm. Even though he sometimes hated the little smartass, he didn't want him to die. Near glowered at Mello, escaping from the blond's vice-like grip.

"I know that Mello. I'm not an idiot." He pulled Nui-chan even closer to his chest. "I had told L that something bad was going to happen if we got on this ship. But he ignored me. I think I'm about to be proven right tonight." He padded over the porthole on the other side of the room, gazing aimlessly out at the ocean. "I think we might have hit an iceberg. That's the only thing that could possibly do any damage to the Titanic this far out at sea. I'm not sure if the boat will sink or not, I haven't the slightest idea how badly we were hit. Either way, we need to get out of here, and quickly." All Mello could do was stare after Near in a mixture of confusion and fear.

"We're on a fucking boat. If it does go down…" He glanced over at Matt's still sleeping figure, and B's body balled up under the sheets. "We might die." Near nodded, not turning to meet Mello's gaze.

"Yes, there is an 83% chance that you and everyone else will die, and an 87% that I will if my calculations are correct, I'm not quick or able bodied like you or Matt are. I'd have to ask L or B if he would get up. Honestly I have no idea how either B or Matt could sleep through this." Near got up from his perch by the window and walked over to B's bed, reaching out as if to gently shake the man awake. "B, get your ass up and moving now damn you." He growled, knowing that cursing was the only way to get the man up from his sleep. B mumbled something incoherent, the words 'macaroni salad' being thrown around.

"Just one more minute, Near." He murmured, rolling over away from the snowy haired boy. Near scowled slightly, scratching his head. How do I put this...?

"If you don't get up, you're going to die." Near deadpanned, not in the mood to play games. B groaned in confusion, rolling back over to face Near. He cracked one eye open before sitting up, shaking his mop of hair.

"What are you saying, Near?" B squinted into the darkness to peer at the boy's solemn face. Realization dawned on him. "So…you're serious?" Near nodded.

"We hit an iceberg, I'm 98% sure of that. There is an 83% chance that we'll die if the ship capsizes." He left out the percentage about himself. B scratched his head, the brilliantly smart B that no one saw often coming out.

"And what are these calculations based on? We might have just thrown a propeller blade you know." B questioned. Near shook his head determinedly.

"No that's not it, it cannot be. I felt the shudder on the right side of the ship, far above any of the propellers. The equilibrium of the boat was off about 20 degrees, the bow is now starting to tip downwards as the emergency chambers are beginning to overfill with water…" Near launched into his analysis while Mello shook Matt awake, kissing him on the forehead as he explained what was happening, and reassuring his best friend and boyfriend that everything would be okay. Little did they know that things were not going to be alright. But I knew that things were not going to be alright, quite the opposite to be exact.

* * *

Light and I were leaning over the starboard rain, looking at the hull of the ship.

"Everything looks alright from here. I don't see anything." I shrugged.

"Could it have damaged the ship do you think?" Light looked over at me, a worried expression wrinkling his face. I smiled back reassuringly, a mask of course. I knew from the moment I felt the ship shudder that we were going to capsize. I would never tell Light that though, I couldn't.

"It didn't seem like much of a bump. I'm sure we're okay." To be honest, I don't think I've ever felt worse about lying in my life. To see Light's relieved and completely trusting smile aimed at me almost made me ashamed to look him in the eyes. I turned away from him, a strange aching in my chest. Guilt maybe? Behind us, a couple of steerage guys were kicking the ice around, laughing and obviously oblivious to the impending danger.

Over near the B deck, an officious steward named Barnes came along the other direction, getting the few concerned passengers back into their rooms.

"There's no cause for alarm. Please, go back to your rooms." That was his mantra as he flew down the hallway, directing passengers. He was on his way to another section of the ship when he was stopped in his tracks by Misa and Ward. "Please, ma'am. There's no emergency—" Misa's eyes flashed, stepping closer to Barnes.

"Yes there is, I have been robbed! Now get the Master at Arm, Officer Guilford. Now you moron!" Misa snapped, causing the steward to stumble back at the insult. He muttered a quick 'right away ma'am' before scampering off into the next corridor. Misa turned away from everyone in the hallway as if to be in distress, a sneer on her cherry colored lips.

Light and I came up the steps from the well deck, which were right next to three Yale men. They stared at us as we climbed over the locked gate, obviously meant to keep passengers out. A moment later, Captain Barkley rounded the corner, followed by Michaels and the carpenter Hutchinson. They had come down the bridge by the outside stairs. The three men, their faces grim, crush right past me, Andrews barely glanced at Light.

"Can you shore up?" Bartley asked.

"Not unless the pumps get ahead." Hutchinson replied quickly in some jargon that I didn't quite understand. Construction wasn't exactly my forte. The inspection party went down the stairs to the well deck, not even looking back. I bit my lip, my brow crumpling as I leaned close to Light.

"This is bad." I said, pointing out the obvious. Light nodded, and I could practically see his thought process as he mentally crunched numbers to finalize and outcome in about 3 seconds. He blinked and looked back over at me.

"We have to tell my father and Misa." He decided. I felt something spoil inside my stomach, a rotten feeling seeping through my body.

"And now it's worse." I deadpanned. Light smiled slightly, taking my hand in his, the sudden warmth making me flinch noticeably.

"Come with me, L. I jump, you jump…right?" He murmured. My words from that night echoed in my head and I grudgingly nodded, closing my eyes.

"Right." I said finally. I hated making commitments, but I was in way too deep now. With that, I foolishly followed Light through the door inside the ship.

We crossed the foyer, entering the B-deck foyer. Ward was waiting for us in the hall as we approached the room, making me stiffen in suspicion.

"We've been looking for you sir." He said, addressing Light. Light nodded curtly as we walked past him, still holding hands. I tried to pull away but Light's grip would allow it. Ward followed us and, unseen moved close behind me and smoothly slips an incredibly rare diamond necklace into the pocket of my suit pants. How he did it, I'll never know, but I kept walking, oblivious to what he had done at the time.

Inside the suite, Misa and Soichiro were waiting in the sitting room, along with the Master at Arms and the steward Barnes. We were hit by a wall of suspicious silence as we entered, and Soichiro closed his robe at his throat when he spotted me.

"Something serious has happened." Light finally spoke. Misa scowled.

"That's right. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one of them is back…" Misa glared from me to Light, a condescending glint in her eye. "…I have a pretty good idea where to find the other." She turned to Officer Guilford. "Search him." The Master at Arms stepped up to me and I gulped, my eyes going wide.

"Coat off, mate." He said, pulling off my suit jacket and I shook my head in dismay, shrugging out of it. I had never been on the receiving end of a frisking and I could definitely understand why people hated it so much. Guilford patted me down and a curse slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"This is horseshit." I spat softly. Light stepped up to Misa, his brow creased.

"Misa, you can't be serious right now! We're in the middle of an emergency and you—!" Barnes, who had joined in on my pat down, pulled out a Painite gem necklace, a necklace made with the rarest gem in the world. My mouth dropped open in pure shock, partly at the fact that it had somehow wormed its way into my pocket, and partly at the fact that it was the rarest fucking gem in the world to date.

"Is this it?" Barnes asked Misa and she nodded.

"That's it." She said. I looked over to see Light's face, a stunned and unbelieving expression etched into his features. The Master at Arms began to handcuff me and I flinched, roughly pushing the burly man away.

"Don't you believe it, Light. Don't!" I was suddenly shoved against the wall as Guilford wrenched my hands painfully behind my back as he forcefully clicked the cuffs onto my wrists.

"He couldn't have…There's no way he could have." Light murmured mostly to himself, his voice was still uncertain. Misa rolled her eyes.

"Of course he could. Easy enough for a professional. He memorized the combination when you opened the safe. Light shook his head, taking a hesitant step backward.

"B-but I was with him the whole time." Misa padded close to Light, leaning close as she passed.

"Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, dear." She whispered, her voice low and cold. It was most likely only meant for him but I clearly heard it. I gritted my teeth, hit with the overwhelmingly obvious conclusion.

"They put it in my pocket!" I growled, struggling against Guilford's strong hands. Barnes, who was holding my jacket, patted the pocket.

"It's not even your pocket son." He said, reading the label. "Property of Beyond Birthday?" he said, as if it was a question. I clenched my jaw.

"That's my brother you jackass! Light—" I stopped short as I gazed at his face. I could tell he felt utterly betrayed, hurt, and confused. He shrank away from me which was something I couldn't bear to see. I resisted against Guildford's cuffs, as Ward and Guilford dragged me out into the hallway. Light couldn't even look me in the eye, which despite my desperate struggles, made my heart crack in two. In one last futile attempt, I turned to shout in the direction of the door I had come out of.

"Light, don't listen to them… I didn't do this! You know I didn't do it, Light! You know me!"

* * *

**Aww poor Lawliet getting taken to Titanic jail! DDX Oh and by the way, yes I did mean to spell crunch with a 'k' lol I thought it would be more interesting. So what'd you think this time? Decent? Bad? Amazingly fantabulous? I'd love to hear your opinions, preferably in the form of a review! Next chapter will be coming soon! ^_^**


	13. Stage 2: Not Enough By Half

**Hey everyone, back again with another chapter, this one is kind of short but it's just gonna go down from here to let you know. I'm not going to tell who's dying or not dying or if anyone is going to die at all ^_^ Alright not much to say here so enjoy!**

**Warnings: Language, rape, and a Good 'ol fashioned Misa beating. Yes she finally gets her comeuppance in this chapter! :D **

* * *

Light POV 

Thoughts were roiling inside my head like a hive of angry hornets. Why would Lawliet try and steal from me? Even though he doesn't make much money, surely he would never stoop so low as to embezzle jewelry from my family. I could hear warped voices and knocking from outside in the corridor. I couldn't process the complete situation anymore, betrayal shrouding most of my thoughts and emotions. I turned to Misa as if I were moving through a world full of caramel. Even in my fog, I still remembered the overwhelming danger encroaching from a not so far away place and I blinked at the blond haired woman.

"I had better go dress." I murmured, still in a daze that I almost didn't feel the stinging slap that Misa delivered to my left cheek. My eyes snapped open wide and my breath hitched in my throat at the surprising force that was conveyed with the blow. Although I was in my confused tarry, I couldn't help the anger that whooshed through my body with so much intensity that is turned my vision cerise. Misa had a look of pure animosity that it took me back for just a second.

"It is a little slut, isn't it?" She growled vociferously, her face turning almost as red as the lipstick on her twisted lips. Even coming from her, the verbal blow was inconsequential compared to the strike to my heart. In my disorientation, I squeezed my eyes shut for just a moment, ready to lash out with everything I had at this woman. I hated her so much I would have wanted to kill her if she didn't have a chance of dying tonight. I had taken so much shit from her the years I had known her, and even more once I had gotten engaged to her. I was sick and tired of being the obedient little perfect Light Yagami who could do nothing but be monopolized by his soon-to-be wife. Without thinking, I felt my arm hitch back.

Right as my hand flinched forward to strike Misa, there was a loud knock on the door accompanied by an urgent voice. Without much hesitation the door opened and our steward stuck his head inside the room. He obviously sensed the abhorrence that crackled in the air like lightening because he flinched noticeably before stuttering out the request.

"Sir, I've been told to ask you to please put on your lifebelts and come up to the boat deck as soon as possible." Even though it wasn't his fault at all, I couldn't help but redirect my resentment at the steward.

"Get out!" I snarled. "We're busy." Albeit my threatening tone, the steward persisted, coming in to retrieve the lifebelts from the top of a dresser.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Yagami, but it's Captain's orders. Please dress warmly; it's quite cold out tonight." He didn't meet my eyes but he handed me the thick ivory lifebelt rushing through the room. "Not to worry, I'm sure it's just a precaution." I knew better though, so I quickly strapped the belt to my person, trying to ignore the fact that my silk shirt (suit jacket nowhere to be found) was going to be wrinkled beyond belief. In our corridor the stewards were being so polite and obsequious and they were conveying no sense of danger whatsoever. However little did I know it was another story in…

* * *

_BANG! _The door was thrown open and the lights were snapped on by a steward in the third-class lodging. The Cartmell family was rudely roused from an already troubled sleep by noises and loud voices.

"Everybody up, let's go! Put your lifebelts on!" The steward yelled with zero disregard to the people in the room, simply following orders. In the corridor outside, more stewards were going from door to door down the hall, pounding and yelling. People came out of their rooms behind the workers, perplexed. A Syrian woman turned to her husband to ask what the steward had said but the husband simply shrugged, neither or them able to speak any English.

* * *

Up in the A-Deck foyer, a large number of First Class passengers, myself included, had gathered near that same split staircase where I had met L after dinner to meet his brothers. Many of the older men and women were getting indignant about the confusion. Melissa Greenwood snagged a passing young steward whose eyes were as wide as he was tall.

"What's goin on here, sonny?" she asked, more annoyed than worried. "You've got us all trussed up and now we're cooling our heels!" The young man backed away, his eyes growing wider as he actually stumbled on the stairs.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'll go find out." He mumbled, scampering away.

A jumpy piano rhythm of 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' came out of the first class lounge a few yards away, most likely assembled by the Captain's orders to allay panic. Misa's entourage came up to the A-deck foyer, Misa carrying her lifebelt almost as an afterthought. At this point I was a walking zombie.

"It's just like the God damned Americans doing everything by the book." She said, not even trying to hide it. My father, of course, was walking along with her.

"There's no need for language, Ms. Amane." He chided halfheartedly, turning to his personal butler Franklin to address him lazily. "Go back and turn the heater on in my room, so I won't be too cold when I get back." Franklin bowed wordlessly and trotted off to do my father's bidding like the little man-bitch he was. Mr. Gordon Michaels entered, looking around the magnificent room, which he knew was doomed. He seemed to be in a deeper haze than I was at that moment. I was close enough to see his heartbroken expression and I walked over to him, Misa inevitably following after me.

"I saw the iceberg, Mr. Michaels. And I see it in your eyes. The ship is going to sink isn't?" I murmured, our eyes locking together. I already knew the truth but I wanted to hear it come from him.

"Yes. In an hour or so..." he motioned around him to the Titanic itself. "All of this will be at the bottom of the Pacific.

"My God." Misa breathed behind me, her hand covering her mouth in pure horror.

"Please tell only who you must, I don't want to be responsible for a panic." He told me in a hushed yet extremely urgent voice. "And get to a boat quickly. Don't wait. There aren't enough boats, Light, not enough by half. Which means…half of the passengers if not more will be dead by sunrise." I could see the sickly jade shade color his face as unshed tears welled up in his eyes, showing he was overcome with shame and the crushing feeling of being responsible for the deaths of more than 600 people.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, bile rising in my throat, "I understand. Thank you." With that, Michaels nodded shakily, moving among the passengers and urging them to put on their lifebelts and get to the boats.

* * *

L POV

Inside the Master at Arms' office, there I sat, chained to a water pipe, next to a porthole that used to be 50 feet above water level. After being dragged, kicked, shoved, violated and demeaned, I was still standing strong. I had been raised around these kinds of situations and was trained to never crack, never give your aggressor the satisfaction of knowing they hurt you in any way. I lashed out with snarky smartass comments and accusations as they hurled me through the doorway into the dank room I was currently stationed in, I fought back and almost had the upper hand until it was six burly men against me. Not a fair match at all when you're gagged, bound, and bleeding from a blunt cut above your right eye while blood is pouring into said eye rendering you partially blind. Even then I still was able to kick the shit out of 2 of the men before they beat me into the ground.

At the moment, I was breathing heavily, Officer Guilford watching me with such disdain and disgust that I almost shuddered visibly. Might I mention that I have thoroughly pissed off this man on two occasions, giving him that much more of a reason to detest me. He put a .45 bullet on the desk in front of him and watched as gravity of the tilting ship caused the bullet to roll across and fall off. He picked up the bullet and placed it back in the cartridge of its respective gun, standing slowly from his chair.

"You know…I believe this ship may sink." He said condescendingly, as if I was completely oblivious to the situation. He crossed over to me, only taking a few steps because the room was rather small.

"No shit Sherlock." I ground out when he was close enough to me. He responded by punching me in the stomach, knocking the wind from my lungs and leaving me gasping for breath. Guilford still had the gun in his hand, his finger poised over the trigger casually as he smiled crookedly down at my slightly doubled over frame as I gasped softly for gulps of breath. I felt the cool metal of the gun's barrel sweep against my forehead, softly brushing away my bangs from my eyes.

"In such bad shape but you're still able to talk back to me." He murmured, his voice taking on a completely different tone that made me nervous. Suddenly he grabbed a fistful of my hair, forcefully yanking my head close to his. I gasped painfully, my unerring façade cracking. "You know what a compromising situation you're in, Mr. Lawliet. You can't fight back much anymore can you?" He slipped the gun back into the holster on his hip, using his now free hand to travel under the front of my shirt. My eyes widened and I growled, expertly using one of my free legs to hook the back of Guilford's and sliding my leg forward in a lightning quick movement, causing the man to immediately collapse backwards onto the ground with a satisfying thud. Several locks of hair were ripped out in the process but it was a small price to pay.

Sadly, my attempt was in vain because within moments, the man was back on his face, angrier than he had been before. His hatred along my recent actions gave him the fuel needed for him to pin me against the wall without any warning, and viciously have his way with my body over, and over, and over again. I did my best not to scream but it wasn't like anyone would have heard anyway. I could feel myself slipping away, my veneer completely shattered to pieces as tears flowed freely from my eyes, waves of unexploited emotions wracking through my body with such intensity that I almost forgot about what Guilford was doing to me. Almost. Everything I had worked for: the unfathomable, unbreakable, untouchable genius L Lawliet who was completely unattached and unfeeling and never showed a single sliver of weakness was being shredded, sloppily stitched back together, and shredded again until it was unidentifiable. I was completely and utterly powerless, my hands cuffed and the sheer weight of Guildford being too much for me to even attempt to fight off.

Eventually Guilford finished, pulling his pants up and discarding me like a piece of garbage. My legs couldn't support me as I crumpled to the ground, his departure seeming to sap the very life force from my body. I was too weak to muster up the strength to pull my pants up or even talk as I was once again left to gasp for breath.

"Compliments of Ms. Misa Amane." Guilford sneered, taking a small key from his pocket, presumably the one for my handcuffs, flipping it in the air. He caught it and put it in his pocket and exited the room like nothing had ever happened, leaving me battered, corrupted, and destroyed beyond recognition.

* * *

Light POV

"Women and children only!" That was the mantra that seemed to overtake every other sound around me. Another rocket burst overhead, lighting up the crowd. The startled faces turned upward, fear now in their eyes. I watched the farewells taking place right in front of my eyes as Misa, my father, myself, and Melissa Greenwood step closer to the lifeboats stationed just over the edge of the boat. Husbands saying goodbye to wives and children, most likely saying their final goodbyes. Lovers and friends parted. Somewhere in front of me Melissa was trying to get my father to board the boat. I don't know how we were able to get on when they said women and children but clearly he wasn't about to pass up the chance.

"Come on, you heard the man. Get in the boat mister!" She barked, holding a hand out to him.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded—"

"Oh, Father shut the fuck up!" I snapped, the haze in my mind clearing away suddenly. I was at my wit's end with everything, my father, Misa, my life, everything. Soichiro's face froze, his mouth hanging open in shock. I continued before he could talk. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats. Not enough by half. This means, if you can't get it through that thick-ass skull of yours, that half of the people on this ship are going to die."

"Not the better half." Misa snickered condescendingly from behind me and I wheeled to face her, realization hitting me like a thunderbolt. L didn't stand a chance at survival at this rate, being locked up somewhere deep in the Titanic. With this state of panic and the seriousness of his accusation, chances were they were just going to leave him chained up wherever he happened to be to die.

Another rocket flare burst overhead, bathing my face in white light as I started down at the blond haired woman.

"You unimaginable bitch." I breathed, my face contorting in a face of unadulterated fury. Acting in a crime of enraged passion, I cocked my fist back and let it snap forward with all the strength in my body, aiming it at her face. Flesh connected with flesh and something snapped with a sickeningly satisfying crunch. I had probably shattered the cartilage in her fake-as-fuck nose but I didn't care.

Her head snapped back and I grinned for a moment when I saw the fresh blood pouring freely from her now incredibly deformed and swelling nose. She let out a bone-curdling scream of agony, covering her nose with her hands and I almost felt sorry about what I had done. Almost. Despite the fact that I was probably going to die soon, I had never felt more alive. I turned to see my father's face and Melissa's face both contorted in varying degrees of shock. I turned back to Misa, my lips pressed into a hard line.

"Don't you dare talk about L that way. Ever." I growled, right in her face. Even though her face was mortally wounded now, she still was able to grab my arm with one bloody hand as I turned to leave and find L. She clutched onto my arm, roughly yanking me back mid-stride.

"Where are you going? To him? Is that it? To be some man-whore to that gutter rat?" her voice shot through the stratosphere, heightening in rage over me punching her, and the fact that I was leaving. I didn't struggle, I didn't shout, and I didn't get angry as I turned back to her, leaning close to her.

"I'd rather be his whore than your husband." I deadpanned, slapping her hand away from my sleeve. She was in such a shock that she didn't even try to reply. I glanced back towards my father. "Goodbye, Soichiro." I nodded curtly, addressing my father by his first name for the first time in my life. My father, standing in the tippy boat, could do nothing as I took off running. I barely heard my father screaming my name as I tore through the frenzied crowd, in search for the only person that mattered at that point: L. My L.

* * *

**Will he get to L in time? What will happen when he sees L in that condition? Why am I asking you all these questions? All these and more will be answered later : ) Oh! And you can leave your suggestions on who you think is going to die or not die, I'd love to see who gets it right ^_^ But as I said, none of them might die, some might! Ya never know! Well I know of course because I have it planned but…alright never mind. Ok well it's 3:20am and I have to wake up at 7:45am for work so good night/morning!**


	14. Stage 3: Escape and Leave Me Behind

**Hey everyone, back with another chapter. I haven't been very proud of the last couple chapters that I've posted, they're poorly written compared to what I'm capable of writing and I apologize for that. I'm sure this doesn't make up for it but hopefully this chapter has a bit more…meat to it (for lack of a better word) than the past few. Hmm this story is starting to reach its climax and I can't wait, this is the longest story I've written ever and that overall I'm very proud of. Also I'm glad that people are willing to read my stuff, for that I thank all of you. I don't know why but for the 100****th**** reviewer, I want to give them something. Be it their own fanfiction or just a 'Yay congratz and thank you for being number 100', I don't care but I just want to do something to thank you guys for following me through this whole thing (even though it's done finished yet). I'm going to leave now and let you read, as always I hope you get some enjoyment out of this next chapter : )**

* * *

L POV

I sat there for what seemed to be hours in a confused stupor, the events that had just occurred only minutes ago still roiling around in my head. My pants and underwear still pooled around my ankles and I had no way to pull them up, but it's not like it would have mattered, no one was coming for me anyway. They were just going to let me go down along with the ship. The door to my little prison room was shut when the hallway emitted a low gurgling sound. My eyes widened as water poured under the door in a steady stream, spreading rapidly across the floor.

"Shit." I muttered, mustering up all the strength in my drained limbs to hoist myself to my feet and hop onto a platform raised off the ground. I yanked my arms back, trying to pull at least one hand out of the cuffs, working until the skin around my wrists started to crack and bleed. No good. "Help!" I yelled futilely. "Someone! Can anybody hear me?" I waited for 3 seconds to see if anyone would reply even in a different language, but I was only met by the sound of more rushing water. I lowered my head slightly, squeezing my eyes shut.

"This could be bad."

* * *

Light POV

I had never run so swiftly in my entire life. I dashed and weaved through panicked masses of people, blindly pushing people out of my way so that I could find L. I had no idea where to go but either way I was running. I turned down the hallway through the First Class corridor and immediately ran smack dab into the one person I was also subconsciously looking for: Mr. Gordon Michaels. Trouble was I was running so quickly that I tripped over a bump in the waterlogged carpet and disgracefully knocked over the man in the process, sending us both tumbling to the ground. I pretended not to notice the obvious blush on his cheeks when I landed on top of him because this was an emergency. After a breathless apology I helped him up, habitually straightening out my clothes.

"Mr. Michaels, thank God!" I huffed, trying to regain my breath. "Where would the Master at Arms take someone under arrest?" He seemed confused at my request because his eyes flickered out towards the open deck and he shook his head.

"What are you talking about Light? You need to get to a boat right away!" he said, his voice heightening in alarm. I shook my head quickly.

"No! I'll do this with or without your help, sir. But without will take longer." I watched the confliction pass through his eyes as I waited on my toes for an answer. After a moment he closed his eyes and pointed behind him to the elevators, beaten.

"Take the elevator to the very bottom, go left, down the crewman's passage then make a right." Only in this state did I have to actually think to retain information.

"Bottom, left, right. Ok I have it." I said. Michaels nodded to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, a worried look in his eyes.

"Hurry, Light." He murmured. With that I sprinted to the elevators, the last operator closing up his lift to leave.

"Sorry, sir, the elevators are closed—" the man started to say. Without thinking, I grabbed him and shoved the man back into the elevator.

"I'm through with being polite goddamnit! I may never be polite the rest of my life! Now take me down!" I barked, my gaze steely and determined as the operator fumbled to comply. The doors finally closed and silence fell upon us for the first time since the iceberg hit as the lift descended. This silence was abruptly shattered when ice water began to seep through the thick metal doors about a foot off the ground. I swallowed painfully as the elevator finally stopped and the doors opened, the frigid water flooding into the compartment, swirling around my shins. I yelped, having sorely underestimated the actual temperature of the water. The operator screamed in shock, rudely shoving me from the lift and closing the door to rise back to the upper decks, leaving me behind in a matter of moments.

"Left, crew passage." I muttered to myself, turning in the correct direction and began slogging down the corridor. The water acted like suction for my legs and feet even though there was only about a foot and a half. It soaked through my leather shoes and socks, rendering my feet numb and icy after only a few minutes. The place was understandably deserted, leaving me with the crushing reminder that I was complete and utterly alone. "Right, right…right." I said to myself, recalling the instructions. I turned into a cross-corridor, splashing down the hall. There was a row of doors on each side and I knew it wouldn't help to check every one of them individually.

"L? Lawliet where are you?" I yelled, cupping my hands over my mouth. I waited for three seconds, dread creeping up my spine when I was met by only the sound of rushing water. "Lawliet are you here? Where are you?" I was about to start knocking down doors when I heard it.

"LIGHT! I'm in here!" It was faint but definitely there, L. L's voice. I ran as quickly as possible towards the end of the hallway through the water to one of the last doors. I called once more for confirmation but I already knew L was behind that door. I tried the handle but it was locked. Raising my foot, I mustered up all my energy in my numb foot to crash through that wooden door, knocking it off its hinges. Without a second's delay I splashed over to L, immediately wrapping my arms around him.

"L, L…I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, I'm sorry!" I was almost crying with relief, my shoulders shuddering. I couldn't help but look down, noticing L's pants and underwear floating in another part of the room. "W-what happened to your—"

"I don't want to discuss that." L muttered grimly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Ward put the jewelry in my pocket." I took L's face in my hands, kissing his mouth roughly.

"I know, I know." I said, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

"So…how did you find out I didn't do it?" L asked quickly. I shook my head, biting my lip.

"I didn't. I just realized I already knew." We shared a look for a moment before the urgency of the situation crashed back on us. I glanced at L's bound wrists and decided to start with that. "Ok did you happen to notice where they happened to put the key to those?" L shook his head.

"It's useless, I kept track and Guilford took the key with him." He spoke the name 'Guilford' like it was a disgusting maggot. It made me cringe inwardly but I nodded, frantically looking around the room for anything that might help break the cuffs. L was looking as well when our eyes simultaneously fell upon a small handgun hanging on a hook by the door by its trigger. I looked back at L and leapt through the water towards it before he could object. I carefully grabbed the weapon from its hook, holding the cool metal in my hand for a moment before repositioning my fingers how I had seen it on TV many times before. I looked back at L whose eyes were growing wider by the second.

"Now Light, I'm almost 96 percent positive that you have no idea how to shoot that gun in your hand. If you're planning to do what I think you're planning to do, because of your lack of experience there is an 89 percent chance that you will shoot at least one of my hands off." He said with pseudo calmness. I rolled my eyes, trudging back to him.

"We don't have much of an option L, it's either this or I find an axe and try to chop the chains apart." I couldn't help the irritation that colored my tone at his lack of faith in my shooting abilities. He had every reason to doubt them but all the same. He noted the resolve in my eyes and resigned with a sigh, his body sagging at the thought of me aiming a gun at his person.

"Ok fine, but do a few practice shots first alright?" he nodded towards a blank wall across from us. I turned, holding the weapon at eye level, wasting no time in firing a round into the wall. It was a clean shot and I was able to tense my muscles enough so that the kick of the gun didn't end up hitting me in the nose. I glanced back at L who nodded in approval.

"Now try to fire at the same mark again." My brow furrowed with doubt but nevertheless I aimed and fired, the bullet piercing the wall at about 4 inches from the initial mark. My faced paled. "Okay that's enough practice." L's voice wavered behind me as he assessed the wall and my sub-par aim. I couldn't help but notice the blood drain from L's face as I turned the gun on him as he stretched his hands as far apart as the metal would permit. I had about 3 and a half inches of space to shoot and it would only take one shot. There wasn't much time to think as I raised the gun and winced, swallowing hard.

"You can do it, Light. Just focus. I trust you." L said, his voice stronger than before. It was a shame he had said that because I didn't trust myself at all at that moment. Even so, L closed his eyes and I took aim. I didn't realize I had closed my eyes as well until my finger pulled on the trigger. K-WANG! I was about ready to burst into tears when I gingerly opened my eyes, to look… L was grinning with two separate cuffs. I dropped the revolver and it floated away from me across the surface of the now 3 foot high water. All the strength drained from me and my brain fizzed out for the moment. I did it.

"I knew you could do it, Light." L said, still grinning. He hopped down from his dry perch into the water next to me. I could hear the breath hitch in his throat as his bare skin (he was still without pants) hit the ice cold water. "Shit! Excuse my French. Ow, dear God that's cold!" he screeched. If the prospect of death wasn't looming over us like a shadow I would have laughed. Without saying a word I sloshed through the water to L's only half-soaked pants, carefully grabbing them from the rising water. I handed them to him and he looked surprised for a moment before wordlessly slipping the jeans onto his body awkwardly. Now that we were both clothed, I grabbed L's hand to leave.

We waded out into the hall and I started towards the nearest stairwell but L stopped me. There was only about a foot of the stairwell visible.

"Too deep. We need to find another way out." He said grimly. I released his hand and looked around for an escape, any escape. We splashed through the hallways until we came across a doorway that seemed to lead back up towards the main decks. It was tightly locked.

"Back up." I told L who did as I commanded, staying off to the side as I backed up as far as I could in the narrow corridor and sprinted towards the door, shoulder first. The wooden doorframe splintered and the door burst open under the force of my shoulder. I had no idea how strong I was until that night. L and I stumbled though into a new hallway, a slightly dryer one thankfully. A steward, who was nearby herding people along, marched over to us, an angry scowl on his face. He shook his finger at our backs as we hurried along, holding hands once again.

"Here you!" he started to rant. "You'll have to pay for that, you know! That's White Star Line property—"

"FUCK OFF!" L and I turned and yelled in unison. I lead L past the dumbfounded steward and we soon caught up with the steerage stragglers going aft. In places the corridor was almost completely blocked by large families carrying all their luggage. An Irish woman handed L a blanket to his astonishment, more for modesty than anything because she herself was blue-lipped and shivering. L shook his head and in turn wrapped the blanket back around the woman and her young child, smiling reassuringly. He didn't know I was watching him and I smiled at his thoughtfulness. Who knew he could be so selfless. The woman's husband offered L and me a flask of whiskey which I gratefully took.

"This'll take the chill off." The man said and I nodded in thanks, taking a swig. The liquid burned all the way down my throat. Any other day I would have spat it back out but it offered comfortable warmth to drip through my frozen limbs. I closed my eyes for a moment, passing it to L who refused it. I passed it back to the owner, thanking the man once again.

After a few more moments of standing, I decided that being there wouldn't help us at all. I gritted my teeth, grabbing L's hand and leading him away from the group of commoners.

"We need to find another way; they're obviously not going to let anyone through here." I said. L nodded, following me without much protest.

"L! LIGHT! THERE YOU GUYS ARE!" A voice sounded somewhere behind us and before I could turn around, something launched itself onto our backs. My heart faltered and skipped a beat at the sound of someone weeping loudly in my ear.

"Mello get off of Light!" I heard L say as he began to pry the blond from my neck. My windpipe was constricted as Mello clutched for dear life, blubbering about never seeing L and I again. I used my hands to wrench Mello's fingers from my neck and lurched forward, gasping for breath. I turned to see the whole gang together, hugging L like, well like a family. The white haired kid, Near I think, was carrying a teddy bear close to his chest, looking obviously shaken up, but the most level headed out of all of all the boys.

"All the boats are going." He informed us. L nodded and started speaking to them in a language that I didn't quite know, was it…Swahili? I can't say I was surprised; they all seemed like absolute geniuses. Yes I was very smart, yes, but I couldn't compare to L and his brothers. Their intelligence was insurmountable.

Eventually after some arguing in several different languages (most of which I knew, they weren't exactly saying kind words) and dragging me into the talk, we agreed to split up, and meet back up in the main deck. L, B and I were together, Mello, Matt, and Near were together as well. We all exchanged hugs once more before going our separate ways. Mello, Matt, and Near disappeared around a corridor, in search of another route to the main deck while B, L and I stayed behind. We tried to find our way through a sea of confused passengers.

Past a woman arguing heatedly with a Serbo-Croatian, a wailing child next to them…past a man kneeling to console a woman who was just sitting on the floor, sobbing… and past a man with an English/Arabic dictionary, trying to figure out what the various signs mean while his wife and children waited patiently. I stopped for a moment, helping them quickly, speaking Arabic as flawlessly as a local. I directed them in the right way and they thanked me gratefully, rushing off along the hallway. I couldn't help but smile to myself, hoping that would be one more family still alive by morning.

B and L were both ahead of me in a narrow stairwell and I caught up quickly, we passed through two decks before we were stopped by a small group pressed up against a steel gate. The steerage men were yelling at a scared steward.

"Go to the main stairwell, with everyone else. It'll all get sorted out there." The steward explained in an irritated voice. He couldn't care what happened to these steerage people one way or the other. I took one look at the scene and finally just lost it.

"God damn it to Hell son of a bitch!" I screeched, shaking the steel gate so hard I thought it would break off its hinges. My vision flooded red and I kicked and yelled, the steward backed away like I was a caged wild animal. I felt L's arms wrap around my torso as he dragged me back down the stairwell.

"Calm down, Light! You need to calm down! It's going to be alright, we'll get through this." He said into my ear with such unerring calmness that I broke from his grasp, rounding my anger on him.

"How the hell can you be so calm in a situation like this?" I yelled at him, throwing my hands in the air. He just looked at me, a mix of sadness, compassion and fear glinting in his eyes.

"I know we'll get through this, Light Yagami. I'll be with you, until the end. I promise you that much okay?" He murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. My anger burned away reluctantly as I soaked in his words, and I grudgingly nodded, running a hand through my hair.

"For now we have to find a way to get up there…" My brain finally kicks into gear when I spotted a bench not to far from where we stood. B seemed to match wavelengths with me because we both sprinted over to the bench at the same time, grabbing the end of the wooden bench bolted to the floor. In no time the bolts sheared and broke free and we hoisted it up off the ground. L was quickly ushering people aside just in time as B and I nodded and ran up the step with the bench and rammed into it with everything we had. It ripped loose from its track and fell outward, narrowly missing the steward. Led by B, the crowd surged through like a single entity. I stepped up to the cowering steward and lifted my nose like the First Class snob I was and looked down at the man.

"If you have any intention of keeping you pathetic job with White Star Line, I suggest you escort these good people to the boat deck…now." I said in my most imperious voice. Class won out. He nodded and dumbly motioned for the crowd to follow him. I nodded with satisfaction, jogging to join B and L at the front of the herd.

We burst out onto the boat deck from the crew stairs just aft of the third funnel. We looked at the empty davits.

"Damnit the boats are gone!" L cursed, grinding his teeth. I spotted Sebastian Lewis chugging forward along the deck, escorting two first class ladies. I ran towards him, leaving L and B for a moment.

"Sebastian!" I yelled out. "Are there any boats left?" He stared at my bedraggled state but replied.

"Yes…there are still a few all the way forward. This way, I'll lead you!" I shook my head and motioned for L and B to follow me as we sprinted through the crowd recklessly, streaking past everyone. The brothers were surprisingly agile and were able to keep up with me no problem. We passed a band playing classical music amidst the panic and I heard B scoff under his breath.

"Music to drown by. Now I know I'm in First Class." He said, his voice carried by the wind whooshing past us. A few feet ahead I saw the shock of white hair amongst the crowd and felt relief flood through me.

"Near!" I yelled out, waving frantically. He turned and grabbed Mello and Matt who ran up to us again, giving us all hugs. For some reason, they made me feel like I was one of them. I didn't have much time to dwell on this fact when Matt pointed somewhere behind him.

"Alright I saw some boats up ahead; we need to get there right now. There's about 10 people getting in boats every 2 minutes and there are about 5 boats left." We all took this into account, taking off in the right direction in a large mob. Somewhere along the way L ended up scooping Near into his arms, carrying him as we ran. Near didn't protest as we finally made our way to the last few boats. In one there were three spots left. Matt pushed Mello towards the boat and helped him in, talking in a quick hushed tone that none of us could hear. I watched Mello's face go from relieved to panic-stricken as Matt backed away from the boat, kissing Mello's cheek one more time.

"What? No Matt what are you doing? Get in the boat! _You can't leave me!_" Mello wailed hysterically, trying to leap out of the boat after his lover and best friend. The stewards wouldn't allow him to as Matt led Near to the boat next. Before he went over the edge, Near trudged back to L, wrapping his thin arms around L's torso.

"I love you, L. Take care and be safe." He murmured, backing away from the ebony haired man. For the first time I had seen him, Near had tears running down his face. L dropped to his knees, hugging the boy again, wrapping him in an embrace too intimate for me to understand.

"Praesent dapibus, Nate." (Stay safe, Nate) He said in Latin into the boy's ear. I couldn't help the tear that slid down my cheek as L helped Near into the boat along with another woman and child who needed to be in the boat more than we did. L, B, Matt and I stood on the boat deck as the seamen began to lower the boat to the ocean. Mello reached over the edge of the boat, crying uncontrollably as he held his hand out to Matt. Tears even ran down Matt's cheeks as he lunged forward to grab Mello's hand and hold it as long as he could.

"I love you, Mihael, I'll see you soon okay? I promise. We won't be apart for long, you'll see!" Matt cried out reassurances as their fingers were forces apart. The boat disappeared from sight over the side of the boat moments after. Near didn't say anything but he cried softly into his bear and didn't look back at us. I watched Matt lift up his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes as he was forced to part with Mello and B pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's gonna be okay, we're getting on the next boat so we'll be right near them." He said comfortingly. After a few heartbreaking moments we finally move on to another boat which was filling up quickly. Once again only three spots available. Matt and B hopped in without question and I gazed at the last spot. L seemed to sense my unease and gripped my shoulders from behind.

"Go Light. Get in the boat." He whispered. Something in my heart cracked at his words and I released myself, shaking my head.

"No, there's no way I'm leaving without you, L. After all this I'm not leaving you again!" I said, my voice bubbling into hysteria that mirrored Mello's from only minutes before. L closed his eyes as if he was about to say something when I heard another voice sounded behind me, recognizable out of the screams emitted from the general chaos.

"Yes. Get into the boat, Light." My blood ran cold and I spun around, met by the worst sight I could have thought of at that very moment.

It was Misa.

* * *

**Ah the sneaky bitch is back. What has to happen to her for her to die? I'm not sure but I guarantee I'll find a way. So Light busted L out of jail, they met up with the rest of the gang and now they're on their way to safety right? WRONG. Just joking (sort of). Either way there you go, I feel kinda bad about splitting Matt and Mello up but I did it anyway. Hope you liked this chapter, next one will be coming up soon, I'm sort of on a writing roll so to speak so it should maybe be a few days till the next one. Nevertheless I'm trying to focus on quality rather than how quickly I can crank out the next chapter. Alright well I'm going to go rock out with some Owl City and drift off to sleep, reviews would be lovely : )**


	15. Stage 4: We All Fall Down

**Back with another chapter, sorry this one took longer than expected, I have school which starts on Monday (pretty excited but nervous) so I've been busy finishing summer reading and going to many different thrift stores in my area to find more clothes for the year and neglecting to write this chapter. Hmm getting close to the end of the story, not quite but it's getting pretty close. I'm so excited to write the end of this, I can already tell there are going to be some mixed reactions about the ending and no spoilers but…a few people are going to die. Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows. Anyway, enjoy this chapter! ^_^~**

* * *

L POV

"Yes. Get in the boat, Light."

To say I was shocked to see Misa was a cruel understatement. To say that I hated her was an almost laughable understatement. Light stepped instinctively into me and reaches around his back for me to take his hand. I grabbed it and stepped aside so that Light was standing next to me rather than in front. Misa's eyes raked over Light's appearance. Shivering in his soaked through dress shirt and pants, shoes, socks, and tie nowhere to be seen. His hair was an absolute mess and there was a rather large tear in his dress shirt. She laughed contemptuously, flipping a lock of blond hair over her shoulder.

"My God, look at you." She said, glancing from Light to me. I had a feeling she was referring to more than Light's clothes. Misa handed Light a coat which he numbly shrugged into, more out of modesty, not the cold. I couldn't help but notice the large bandage and dark purple badly bruised skin that surrounded her nose. My guesses were that she had fallen and smashed her nose against something really had or someone had given her an extremely hard punch to the nose. Either possibility made me smile.

"Quickly anyone who is going to, step into the boat. Hurry please!" Lightoller urged, holding out a hand to us. I ground my teeth, seeing my brothers in the boat but I knew I needed to let Light go. I would find another way to get to safety and there was no way I wanted Misa to get in the boat. I squeezed Light's hand once and I released it, putting my hands on Light's shoulders.

"Go on. I'll get the next one." I said, almost choking on the words. Never before in my life had I been so selfless. Any other time I would have shoved people overboard to save myself but I was helping people and sacrificing myself left and right. What was wrong with me? I closed my eyes as Light broke free from my grip and frowned, on the verge of panic.

"No, I've already said, not without you!" he hissed and my jaw clenched. I really hated when people didn't listen to reason. I was offering him another chance to live and he refused it for me? I guess that's what love means then. There were words I needed to say, so many thing I needed to say but I didn't have the time. I wracked my brain for a response, anything that would get him into the boat. He needed to live more than I did. There weren't any more boats available on our side of the ship so this was the last chance. My chest constricted but I finally forced out the words.

"You shouldn't care about me. Save yourself Light, leave me behind." I couldn't look into Light's eyes as I spoke because I could already feel the disbelief and heartbreak radiating off of him so powerfully that it was palpable.

"What…what are you saying, L?" Light said, his voice barely rising above a whisper. "How could even think about saying that? You think I care that much about my life? Until I met you I was dead an impudent corpse existing behind a false guise of life, a life in which I did nothing real. Day to day I merely went through the motions of living as if I were a zombie and I always had the feeling that I was gradually dying. If I'm condemned to back to that then I'd rather—"

"Stop it!" I ground out, the feeling in my chest tightening. "I see now, it was life without meaning. And a life like that…" I stopped when I heard Misa's voice, abruptly popping the silent and other-worldly bobble that was previously encasing Light and me.

"There are boats on the other side that are open, allowing men in as well. L and I can get off safely. Both of us." I could hear the insidious kindness in her voice but even though I realized this, I smiled reassuringly at Light.

"I'll be alright see? Hurry up so we can get going…we've got our own boat to catch." My smile wavered as I tried to stop the unexpected rush of tears that threatened to escape my body. Misa nodded next to me.

"Get in, Light…hurry up, it's almost full." She said, urging him forward. Lightoller grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the boat and it took all of my self-control not to latch onto him and beg him not to leave. Light reached out to me and I bit my lip, simply waving back. He finally stepped into the boat and something in my brain finally sighed when I realized that everyone I cared about was in a boat and on their way to safety.

"Lower away!" Lightoller finally commanded and Misa and I watched at the rail as the boat began to descend. It sank lower and lower, closer to the ocean and I swallowed hard as I Light slipped farther and farther away from me.

"You're a good liar." Misa smirked as she gazed over the edge of the rail. Without turning to her, I placed on my mask of feigned indifference.

"Almost as good as you are. I applaud you on your performance Ms. Amane."

"I always win, L. One way or another." Misa turned to me and smiled almost too sweetly. "Pity I didn't keep that drawing. It's going to be worth a lot more by morning." My mouth formed a straight line and I gripped the rail so tightly that my knuckled turned white as I tried to fight the tremors of fear and anger than wracked through me. She drew the line on that first night when I saved Light from going overboard the first time. She undoubtedly crossed it when she gave Guilford that malicious order against me. I don't think there was anyone I hated more in this world than Misa Amane. Right then I knew I was completely screwed but I also knew my family and my lover was safe and that's all that mattered to me. I looked down at Light, not wanting his last view of me to be of me crying.

* * *

Light POV

From my perception, everything was moving in slow motion. The ropes going through the pulleys as the seamen start to lower. All sound melted away around me…Lightoller was giving orders, his lips moving, but all I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. _This cannot be happening…_A rocket burst above in slow-motion, outlining L in a halo of light. My hair whipped around my face in slow-motion as I gazed up at him, descending away from my L. I saw his hand trembling, the tears at the corners of his eyes threatening to slide down his cheeks. I couldn't believe the unbearable pain I was feeling. I was still staring up, tears pouring freely down my face.

Suddenly, I was moving. I lunged across the woman next to me, reaching the gunwale and climbing it. In a surge of unknown strength I hurled myself out of the boat to the rail of the A-deck promenade, catching it, and scrambling over the rail. The ocean spray caused the ledge to become slippery and my fingers struggled to get a grip on the boat. I furrowed my brow in frustration as I fought my way over but eventually I threw myself over the edge, collapsing onto the solid deck. The boat continued down into the ocean, but I was back on Titanic.

"No, Light! NO!" I heard L yell from the upper deck but I took off running almost faster than my legs would allow. I blindly sprinted through the frenzied crowd, desperately trying to make my way back up to the A- Deck, skipping 3 steps as I bounded up the stairways. I froze in the A-Deck foyer, unsure of which was to go next until I head L screaming. "LIGHT!" I whipped my head around just in time to see L collide with my body, sending us tumbling to the ground. I somehow ended on top of L and I immediately buried my face in his chest, fresh tears streaming down my face.

"I couldn't do it, L; I just couldn't leave like that! There's no way I'm going to leave you alone, I need you, L! I love you so much, please don't make me get on the lifeboat by myself I couldn't, I couldn't do it!" By now I was babbling, sobbing uncontrollably into L's already soaked through t-shirt. He pulled my head down onto his chest, stroking my wet hair.

"Shh." He cooed softly yet urgently into my ear. "It's alright now. You don't need to worry, I'm right here." My shoulders stopped shuddering when I was suddenly transported back to when L saved me that night when I tried to kill myself. That was exactly what he said to me. I looked down at him and smiled weakly, my lips trembling. I felt a sharp pang in my chest.

"I apologize for this embarrassing display." I murmured. "I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along. For that, I thank you." L squeezed his eyes shut as if to desperately fight off tears, but he just pulled my head back down onto my chest, stroking my hair to make sure I was alive and real.

"No need to thank me. If you jump, I jump right?" He whispered. Before, I would have laughed at this but the trueness of the statement crushed me and sent more tears to wrack through my body. I captured L's lips with my own, desperately kissing him as if doing so would insure our survival. Everything was safe for the moment. The screams and cries seemed to melt away around us and I didn't feel like being anywhere but there. I looked down at the floor and noticed the mermaid and kraken tiles and the Latin saying and something hit me. This is where L and I first met. This caused more tears to flow down my face when I realized this is where we might end.

KWANG!

The space only inches from L's face had a hole the size of a quarter. A bullet hole. Our heads snapped up to see Misa, enraged beyond belief, and pointing a gun at me and L. She re aimed the gun and prepared to fire in the same time I leapt to my feet, yanking L with me.

"RUN!" I screamed, pulling L towards the stairs going down to the next deck. I realized that we needed to stay up on the A-Deck but there wasn't any other way I could think of at the time to get away from the blond. Screaming in rage, Misa fired again and the carved cherub at the foot of the center of the railing exploded, narrowly missing my own head. The bullet blew a divot out of the oak paneling behind L's head as I pulled him down the next flight of stairs. I turned around just in time to see Misa step on the skittering head of the cherub statue and went sprawling across the floor. Despite the impending danger, I couldn't suppress the involuntary laugh that bubbled past my lips as L and I ran for our lives.

The bottom of the grand staircase was flooded several feet deep already as L and I came down the stairs and didn't hesitate to plunge right into the water, fording across the room to where the floor sloped up, until we reached dry footing at the entrance to the dining saloon.

Misa reeled down the stairs in time to spot us splashing through the water toward the saloon. She fired twice, the force of one of the bullets whizzing right past my ear, making me cry out. Huge bouts of water flared up around us but she wasn't a very good shot so we were able to escape without much threat to our lives.

Misa stopped where the grand staircase and the flood of water met, clutching the rail desperately while trying to stay moderately dry. The woodwork groaned and creaked around her.

"I hope you enjoy your time together!" She cried to us as we retreated, and I couldn't help but feel the smallest tendril of regret and sympathy for her, but it was quickly swept away when I thought about how she just tried to kill me. I was brought back out of my thoughts when I felt L squeeze my hand.

"Let's go." He said grimly, pulling me along. I bit my lip and kept running, luckily we were on some low water so running wasn't difficult. We ran through the galley and L spotted the stairs. He started up but I grabbed his hand and pulled him down another staircase in stead because almost immediately the door keeping most of the ice cold water out broke under the force of the ocean water and flooded down the short staircase straight toward us.

"Run, this way!" I gasped as the fresh water swirled around my legs. Now that we were back down in the bowls of the Titanic, we had to find a way to get to the A-Deck and onto a lifeboat as quick as possible without being spotted by Misa. I swore to myself then that if I saw Misa again, I would kill her and repay her for every last bullet she ever shot at L and me. We stood frozen in the hallway, whipping my head back and forth to figure out an escape route, any escape route. My mind was almost completely absent and shorted out, it just would not function, would not compute. All I could think was that I needed to get L out of here; I needed to see him safe. The corridor was understandably vacant; the only sounds were the roar of the rushing water and my own heartbeat. It was thumping so wildly that I thought it was going to literally beat out of my chest and run for safety.

A light fixture above us shorted out and sent sparks flying towards out head with a sharp fizzing sound suddenly, causing me to shout and squeeze L's hand harder than I even thought possible. He winced noticeably and turned towards me, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"It's going to be okay, Light. Remember we'll get through this. We just need to find a way out of here right now." I could tell right then L was locking down his emotions and digging up the L that world knew but I had never seen. The calculating and all-knowing L who never made mistakes, always knew the right answer, always had the solution. I let him drag my otherwise useless person through the water logged hallways, the water quickly rising above knee level. It rained down from fissures in the walls, sheets of water flooding under doors and through places I couldn't even see. The water level was rising drastically and we still hadn't found a way to reach the upstairs that wasn't 6 feet under water. Our percentages of surviving were rapidly decreasing.

After about 10 minutes of searching, I stopped short, grabbing L's hand.

"There's no way we can find a way like this. We're going to need to take an alternative route." I stood firm, my sights set on a staircase that was about 20 feet away. I was about so start moving when a wail sounded somewhere behind us. L and I whipped around in unison and saw a little foreign boy, only about 3 years old, screaming and crying. His back was pressed against the wall as the water swirled around his legs.

"We can't leave him." L said, confliction in his voice. I could tell he really wanted to just run. I nodded and we left the promise of escape up the stairwell I had in mind to run to the child. I scooped the kid up into my arms and ran as quickly as possible back to the stairwell but as soon as I took the first step to safety, the waterlogged walls groaned and a torrent if water cam pouring down the stairs like rapids. In seconds it was too powerful to try and go against.

"Come on." I shouted over the sound of roaring water to L. we charged the other way down the flooding corridor, we blasted up salty spray with each step, my eyes beginning to sting whenever the water would splash into them. At the end of the hallway was a pair of solid double doors. As L approached them he and I both spotted the water spraying through the gap between the doors right up at the ceiling. The doors groaned and started to crack under tons of pressure, the sound clawing my stomach lining to ribbons. The boy in my arms had frozen stiff, I had almost forgotten about the weight of the child in my arms.

"Go back, back!" L shouted and I pivoted and ran back the way we came, taking a turn into a cross-corridor as fast as I could with the boy in my arms. As we turned, a man was coming the other way in our direction. He saw the boy in my arms and cried out frantically, obviously it was his son. He grabbed the boy roughly from my arms and began to curse me out in Russian. He began running with the boy in the direction of the cracking doors and my already torn up stomach sank to my toes.

"No! Not that way, come back!" I yelled out in English, taking a step forward as if to help but my self-preservation trumped all and I stayed back right as those double doors blasted open. A wall of water thundered down the corridor. The father and child disappeared instantly in the froth and I knew they were dead. My mind kicked into gear when L grabbed my hand and screamed.

"Run, Light!" He screamed quickly, and we took off trying to outrun the rushing torrent. We ran as the wave blasted around the corner, foaming from floor to ceiling. It gained on us like a locomotive, the sound almost as loud. The water licked at my heels as I pounded through the hallway, L was yelling something at me but I couldn't hear it, his voice melting away. We finally made it to a stairway going up. We pounded up the steps as the white water caught up to us, swirling behind us. The only thing blocking us from safety was the damn steel gate which happened to be locked. L slammed against the gate, gripping the bars. At that exact moment a terrified steward standing guard on the landing above turned to run at the sight of the water thundering up the stairs.

"Wait! Wait! Help us, please unlock the gate!" I shouted desperately, pleading with everything I had. The steward ran on as the water began to well up around us, pouring through the gate and slamming L and I against it. In seconds it was up to our waists.

"Help us! Please!" L pleaded in fear. The man stopped and looked back at us, his left foot poised on the front step to safety. He saw our arms reaching through the gate and looked down at the water pouring through onto the landing…

"Fucking hell!" He muttered to himself, turning around, slogging against the current towards us. I gritted my teeth, trying to feel relieved as the man pulled a key ring from his belt and struggled to open the simple padlock as the water fountains up around us. The light above us suddenly shorted out, sending sparks flying across the surface of the water. We were plunged into darkness, causing the steward to guide the key into the lock by feel as the water rises even higher.

"Come on, come on!" L frantically shouted, as I squeezed my eyes shut. We were pressed against the ceiling by water, only a few more inches and we wouldn't be able to breathe…

WHOOSH!

The gate suddenly swung open at the very last second and we were pushed through the opening by the force of the water. I instinctively latched onto L's hand as we were plunged into the icy current to the short distance to the stairs. We finally gained footing on the last few steps and L grabbed the handrail to ensure that we didn't get swept down the corridor with the unwavering current, the steward who had helped us was not as lucky. He was immediately knocked off his feet by the chest high waters and was swept away under the water. I looked back as he was carried away, flailing wildly to stay afloat but he was lost under the froth in moments. I couldn't help but feel the sharp pang of regret in my chest but I didn't have time to think as L began to yank on my hand, dragging me up to potential safety.

We ran up seemingly endless stairs as the ship groaned and torques around us. L and I had finally made it to the A-Deck and we were out of breath and ready to collapse but we kept running. There was a very slim chance there were any boats left but regardless we were going to make a try for it. I lead L towards the first class smoke room; it was a short cut to the open decks.

We crashed through the locked door and stumbled inside to see Mr. Gordon Michaels standing in front of the fireplace, staring lifelessly as a large painting above the mantle. The room was completely empty, Michaels was probably the one who locked the door. An ashtray fell off a short end table as the ship began to tip off its axis. I looked at him breathlessly and noticed that his lifebelt was off his body and lying on the floor by his feet. I stepped up to him slowly.

"Won't you even make a try for it?" I murmured, my brow crumpled. I was surprised when he turned to me slowly, a tear rolling down his cheek. His eyes were completely hollow and empty; he was dead to the world already.

"I'm sorry that I didn't build you a stronger ship, Light." He whispered sadly, staring at the floor. The absolute dejection in his face, the complete defeat in his eyes when he finally looked at me was so crushing that I almost dropped to my knees. I picked up his lifebelt from the ground and held it out to him to take, but he shook his head, smiling despondently.

"No, Light, you need it more than I do." He said softly. "Good luck to you." Michaels reach out to me to shake my hand as a goodbye and I shakily took it. What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that he quickly pulled me in without notice and planted a soft kiss on my lips. My eyes widened and I backed away, my fingers up to my mouth. Despite the fact that I loved L, I couldn't help thr blush that spread across my cheeks. I heard an indignant and angry noise come from behind me from L but I couldn't feel angry. I lunged forward at Michaels and embraced him in a rib crushing hug.

"Good luck to you." I said quickly, before turning around and grabbed a frustrated L by the hand and dragged him out of the smoke room. We passed through the palm court and into a dense crowd along the open deck. I pushed my way towards the rail and looked down at the state of the ship. The bridge was under water and chaos was rampant. People were jumping off the deck and finding ways to kill themselves, chivalry was officially dead as men shoved past women and children on the deck, I cringed and had to look away as one small confused boy, no older than 4 was pushed over and mercilessly trampled by a large crowd of people. From my vantage point, I could see the pool of blood surrounding the child; he didn't get up again. Tears welled up in my eyes as I felt someone touch my shoulder. I knew it was L but I reached up and grabbed his hand. I knew he was watching the same scene.

"We're going to be fine, Light. I promise you." He said into my ear. I turned to him and buried my face in his chest, taking a few moments for myself just to cry. I cried and I felt L wrap his arms around me and rock back and forth. The steady rhythm calmed me down and for the second time that night, everything melted away, but only for a moment until L pulled away, looking into my eyes.

"Look at me, okay? Look at me, Light. We need to keep moving and stay on the ship as long as possible. There isn't much hope in waiting for boats so staying here would be our best chance of survival. Your family is safe, my brothers are safe and as soon as we can stay alive, I'm sure we'll see them again soon, in just a little while." This did little to actually calm me but I nodded with feigned resolve, squaring my shoulders a bit more. With that, we clambered over the rail quickly. It was a short 8 feet down so I jumped, my now bare feet connecting hard with the solid wood floor. L jumped down beside me and we joined a crush of people literally clawing and scrambling over each other to get down the narrow stairs to the well deck…the only way aft.

Seeing that the stairs were impossible, L climbed over the B-Deck railing and helped me over quickly. He tried to lower me carefully but my wet fingers slipped and I fell in a painful heap, my right ankle breaking my fall. What looked like one of the ship's chef helped haul me to my feet while L dropped down expertly and the three of us pushed through the crowd across the well deck. Near us, at the rail, people were jumping into the water, cowardly choosing to end their lives. The ship groaned and shuddered as it tilted, the stern of the ship pointing towards the stars. It made it much more difficult to navigate on a slanted slippery slope but we did it. A man in front of me was walking like a zombie, like Mr. Michaels, already dead to the world. He was mumbling something biblical as I tried to push past him.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death—"

"You wanna walk a little faster through that valley there?" I cut him off sharply, shoving past him, still holding L's hand. We struggled to climb the well deck stairs and the seemingly drunk chef with us put a hand squarely on my butt and shoved my up onto the deck.

"Sorry, sir!" he apologized quickly, but I didn't think anything of it. Hundreds of people were already on the poop deck, and more were pouring up every second. L and I clung together as we struggled to get across the tilting deck. As the bow went down, the stern rose. It became increasingly difficult to make our way to the rail as the angle increased. Hundreds of passengers, clinging to every fixed object of the deck were huddles on their knees around a pastor or priest, who had his voice raised in prayer. We passed and I could see their faces, either praying, sobbing, or just staring at nothing, their minds blank with dread.

Pulling himself from handhold to handhold, L tugged me aft along the deck. L looked past the praying people and looked back at me.

"Come on, Light. We can't expect God to do all the work for us." He said grimly. In a sense I knew he was right, and I had never been a religious man but at that moment, dropping to my knees and praying didn't sound like a horrible idea at that point. Even so, we pushed past the, finally making it to the stern rail, right at the base of the flagpole. My hands were clammy as I gripped the rail firmly with both hands, hoping to God my fingers wouldn't slip. I looked over and saw the propellers rising faster and faster from the water, already 20 feet above the ocean.

Propellers… Then it struck me, which was where L had pulled me back onto the ship, just two nights…and a lifetime ago.

Now that I was secured safely on the rail, I looked back down the A-Deck Promenade. It was probably one of the worst mistakes of my life. Passengers were loosing their grip and sliding down the wooden deck like a bobsled run, hundreds of feet before the hit the water. I recognized one of the maids that waited on my father and me as she slipped from the slick railing and slid away screaming in a way that made my blood curdle. I didn't reach out to help her.

At the stern where we were, the propellers were already 100 feet out of water and still rising. Panicking people leapt from the poop deck rail, fall screaming and hit the water like mortar rounds. I watched a man fall from the poop deck rail only feet behind me, hitting the bronze hub of the starboard propeller with a sickening crunch.

Then, as if things couldn't possibly get worse, the lights on the ship started to flicker. After a few minutes, the lights completely shut off, turning the Titanic into a vast black silhouette against the stars. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to tremble out of fear and of the nearly freezing temperature of the air. The stern of the ship, almost four hundred feet long, falls back towards the water. On the poop deck, everyone screamed as we felt ourselves plummeting towards the ocean again. The sense of falling was a million times worse than going down on a rollercoaster because in this situation, there was a possibility you could die.

I held on for dear life onto the rail as I felt my body being lifted and my stomach trying to come out of my mouth as the massive stern section falls back almost level, thundering down into the sea and pushing out a mighty wave of displaced water. Swimming in the water directly under the stern a few unfortunate shrieked as they saw the keel coming down on them like God's boot heel, the final judgment. After the ship leveled, some of those around me thought it was salvation.

L looked over at me, obviously shaken but still fully there and alive. He shook his head grimly which obviously meant one thing: the ship was going down. I couldn't do anything now but watch the horrible mechanics play out. Pulled down by the awesome weight of the flooded bow, the buoyant stern tilted rapidly once again. I felt a rush of ascent as the fantail angled up again. Everyone was clinging to benched, railings, ventilators…anything to keep from sliding as the stern lifted.

The stern went up and up, past 45 degrees, then past sixty. I had my eyes shut but I opened them as people began to start sliding and tumbling. The skidded down the deck, screaming and flailing to grab onto something, anything. They wrenched other people loose and pulled them down as well. There was a pile up of bodies, dead and alive at the forward rail.

"We have to move!" L shouted quickly. He climbed expertly over the stern rail and reached back for me. I was too terrified to move as I watched the swirling whirlpool of froth and ocean water swallowed the Titanic like it was a tiny pill. My eyes were wrenched open and I was transfixed on the water, almost mesmerized by it, until L forcefully grabbed my hand. "Come on! I've got you!" he yelled, pulling me over the rail by force. It was the same place he pulled me over the rail two nights earlier, going the other direction. I got over just as the railing was going horizontal, the deck vertical. L gripped me fiercely, to ensure that I didn't fall and I was sure I would have if he hadn't been holding me.

The stern was now straight up in the air…a rumbling black monolith standing against the stars. It hung there like that for a long grace note, its buoyancy stable. I was lying on the railing, looking down fifteen stories to the boiling sea at that base of the stern section. People near us, who didn't climb over, hanging from the railing, their legs dangled over the long drop. The fell one by one, plummeting down the vertical face of the poop deck. Some of them bounced horribly off the deck benches and ventilators. All of it was too much for me to handle, I had to bury my head into L's frozen shirt to keep from bursting into tears yet again.

L and I were lying side my side on what was the vertical face of the hull, gripping the railing which was horizontal. Just beneath our feet were the gold letters TITANIC emblazoned across the stern. I stared down, terrified at the black ocean waiting below to claim us. L looked to his left and saw the chef that helped me off the deck, crouching on the hull, holding the railing. It was a surreal moment.

"Helluva night." The man said, and L nodded and turned back to me. The final relentless plunge began as the stern section finally began to flood. Looking down a hundred feet to the water, we dropped like an elevator.

"Take a deep breath when I say," L began talking fast to me, trying to speak loud enough over the roar of the water, "and hold it right before we go into the water. The ship will suck us down. Kick to the surface and keep kicking, do NOT let go of my hand. We're going to make it, Light. Trust me."

I stared at the water coming up at us, and gripped his hand harder. In the last moments we might have of life I turned to L, capturing his lips with my own one last time in a desperate attempt to tell him I loved him because I was almost to afraid to speak.

"I trust you." I gasped out, my heart racing and my mind clouding with fear and adrenaline. Below us the poop deck was disappearing. The plunge gathers speed…the boiling surface engulfed the docking bridge and rushed up the last thirty feet.

"Ready," L shouted, and tears sprang to my eyes and I gripped L's hand one last time, my life literally flashing before my eyes, displayed on the reflection of the slate black ocean. My empty life that didn't have any true meaning until L came crashing into it. The scene of me catching L replayed in my head, the soft blush of his cheeks, those warm yet dark eyes that drew me in and wouldn't get out of my mind for hours. The man I loved so much more than my own life even though I had only known him for 3 days.

"Set,"

I love you, L, more than I should; you've become my one and only reason for living. You're my everything.

"Breathe now!" I let my lungs fill to the bursting capacity just as the stern descended into the boiling sea. We plunged into the ocean, and the Titanic vanished under the water. Where the magnificent ship stood, was nothing now, only black ocean.

Under the ocean, bodies were whirled and spun, some limp as dolls, others struggling spasmodically, as the vortex sucks them down and tumbled them. I was finally able to see L through the froth and foam, still holding steadfast to his hand as we kicked of the surface. He pulled me up ahead of him closer to what we thought was the surface as my lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen. I couldn't figure out which way was up and which was down as we flipped through the water, fighting for the surface. The salt water stung my eyes as I tried to open them and I kicked hard, my equilibrium permanently thrown off when I couldn't find any solid ground.

All of a sudden, I felt L's fingers straining to hold against mine. Something was trying to force us apart as I kicked and tried to use both hands to latch onto the last person I wanted to lose in the world. I tried to yell but that dispelled more air from my lungs as I realized that L was being pulled in by the residual suction from the ship. I opened my eyes to see L lunge forward quickly to kiss my hand one more time before our hands were finally forced apart, L floating off into oblivion, lashing in the water in an attempt to swim towards me. I reached out futilely, desperately trying to grasp onto anything that was L but I knew it was useless. I couldn't see anything but black water and in moments I was alone. L was gone.

* * *

**OH NOOOOO! L'S GONE! Where'd he go? I hope he'll be back soon, that'd be a pretty lame death you know? Not very dramatic if you ask me. Anyway, this is a longer chapter than I usually write, 11 pages to be exact, but that's because I really didn't know where to cut it off so it's just a big chapter this time. Alrighty hope you enjoyed it, by the way, my writing will be more spaced out because school will be starting again and I won't have as much time to write (which kind of sucks since I'm almost at the end of this story…) but I'll do my best, I promise! Okie doke I'm gonna go, hasta la pasta!~**


	16. Final Stage: The Silly Choices We Make

**So this is where it ends my friends. This is my last chapter of this story (I will probably write an epilogue) and I applaud you all for following me along in this amazing journey. I loved writing this, it took over my life for almost 6 months so I'm sad so see it end so quickly already. To be honest I actually cried when I was writing this chapter. I hope you will all be satisfied with the ending, I certainly am. I'm not trying to be overly sentimental but I hope you've enjoyed this fanfiction as much as I enjoyed writing it and I am ready to move on to the next story to inspire me. **

**So without further ado, here's the final chapter of The Silly Choices We Make.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

At the surface I was met by a roiling chaos of screaming, thrashing people. My lungs burst as I took in an almost impossibly large breath once I reached open air. Over a thousand people were now floating where the shit went down some were stunned, gasping for breath. Others were crying, praying, moaning, shouting…screaming.

I whipped my head around, looking for Light amongst the massive throng of people. As soon as I called out his name, his head surfaced and barely had time to gasp for breath before people started clawing at him. They were driven insane by the water, 4 degrees below freezing, a cold so intense it is indistinguishable from death by fire.

A man pushed Light under, trying to climb on top of him, senselessly trying to get out of he water, to climb onto anything. I swam as quickly as I could towards them and reeled my fist back to punch the man repeatedly, attempting to pull Light free.

"Swim, Light! SWIM!" I yelled over the roar of the other passengers. I watched as he tried but his strokes were not as effective because of the thick lifejacket. I did my best to drag Light away from the clot of people, swimming easier for me because I did not have a lifejacket. I had to find some kind of flotation, anything to get him out of the water. "Keep swimming, Light, come on you can do it." I looked back at Light's face, his hair a bedraggled mess and his lips cracked and sickly blue. He caught me staring and managed a small smile.

"Don't worry L," he croaked, "I'm okay."

"You've always been a bad liar." I murmured as I stroked rhythmically, the effort keeping me from freezing. All about us there was a tremendous wailing, screaming and moaning…a chorus of tormented souls. And beyond that…nothing but black water stretching to the horizon. The sense of isolation and hopelessness was overwhelming.

"Look for something floating. Some debris, wood, anything." I said, pausing for a moment to look around.

"It's so cold." Light murmured behind be, his voice hoarse. I frowned and turned away from him.

"I know, I know it is. Help me here, look around." I talked to keep him focused, trying to take his mind off the wailing around us. I scanned the water, panting, barely able to draw a breath. My eyes caught on something in the water. "Look, there's something." I called over my shoulder. I couldn't let go of Light's hand as we paddled closer to the object. It was a piece of wooden debris, intricately carved. I immediately pushed Light up and he slithered onto it belly down. When I also tried to get on from the same side, it tilted and submerged, almost dumping Light off. I swam quickly around to the other side and approached from that end, hoisting myself up onto the driftwood so that we were face to face. My legs weren't able to fit onto the wood but I kept my upper body out of the water as best as I could.

Our breath floated around us in a cloud as we panted from exertion. I man swam towards us, homing in on the piece of debris. I warned him back.

"It's just enough for us, I'm sorry but you'll push it under." I said, my voice soft.

"Let me at least try, or I'll die soon." The man reached out to me desperately, only a bit older than myself. My eyes narrowed and I set my cracked lips in a hard line.

"You'll die quicker if you come any closer." The man swam away after that without a word. We floated amid the chorus of the damned. I saw the ship's officer nearby, Chief Officer Wilde. He was blowing his whistle furiously, knowing the sound would carry over the water for miles. I turned to Light, my eyes hopeful.

"The boats will come back for us, Light. Hold on just a little longer. They had to row away for the suction and now they'll be coming back."

He nodded, my words helping him. He was shivering uncontrollably, his lips blue and teeth chattering.

"Thank God for you, L." He whispered. People were still screaming, calling to the lifeboats. A man somewhere called out to God, wailing desperately.

"Please…help us! Save one life! SAVE ONE LIFE!" I turned my head away, trying to block out noise, all the noise, all the screams.

* * *

Light and I drifted under the blazing stars. The water was glassy, with only the faintest undulating swell. I could actually see the stars reflecting on the black mirror of the sea. I squeezed the water from Light's long coat, tucking it in tightly around his legs. I rubbed his arms, my face chalk within the darkness. A low moaning sounded in the darkness around them.

"It's getting quiet." Light murmured, his shivers slowing.

"Just a few more minutes. It'll take them a while to get the boats organized." Light was now unmoving, just staring into space. Behind me the officer had stopped moving and blowing the whistle. I followed Light's eyes to the man. He was slumped in his jacket, looking almost asleep. He had died of exposure already, his skin frozen over. It gave him the appearance of a wax doll.

"I don't know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all this." I whispered between shivering breaths. Light laughed weakly, but it sounded like a gasp of fear. He found my eyes in the dim light.

"I love you, L." He murmured and I felt frozen tears prick the back of my eyes. I blinked them away and took his hands in mine, squeezing them even though they felt like icicles.

"No, Light. Don't you dare say your goodbyes. Don't give up, don't you do it." I swallowed thickly, absolutely no water in my mouth.

"It's so cold." Light whimpered, closing his eyes. He didn't even hear my words and I frowned, shaking his hands slightly to keep him awake.

"You're going to get out of this, _we _are going to get out of this…we're going to go on and I'm going to take you to that African village where it's hot and take you to ride e-elephants, we'll travel the world to-together and we'll die old men, warm in our beds. Not here. Not this night. Do-o you unders—tand me?" I was starting to find it hard to draw breath and talk but I carried on. "Light, listen to me. Listen. Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you. And I'm thankful, Light, I'm so thankful."

My voice was trembling with the cold as it began to work its way to my heart but my eyes were unwavering. Light eyes were glassy with unshed tears and he took in a shuddering breath as he sobbed tearlessly, too dehydrated to even shed the tears. I kissed his icy fingers, now unable to move any other part of my lower body which still remained submerged in the water. My vision began to blur and my body was flooded with a sudden sensation of warmth and comfort. It trickled through my limbs, down to my lifeless toes. It was so peaceful and so quiet, nothing stirring with awe and amazement and I drew in a labored breath. It was like a stubborn car motor you try your hardest not to stop functioning and everything slowed to a stand still like a film that had been paused on freeze frame.

Seconds passed, minutes passed, maybe even hours passed. We floated in the black water. The stars reflect the mill pond surface, and the two of us seemed to be floating in interstellar space. We were absolutely still. Our hands were locked together, frozen together. I stared upwards at the canopy of stars wheeling above me. Music drifted over me, transparent…as the long sleep steals over me. I felt so serene.

My face was pale, like the faces of the dead. I felt like I was in a void, floating in a semi-hallucinatory state. My once sharp mind had already slipped away and I couldn't remember how to do differential equations, anything to think my mind even slightly alert. I knew I was dying, my lips barely moving as I sang a scrap of the song I sang to Light what seemed to be an eternity ago,

"Omoi daseba haruka haruka, mirai wa dokomademo kagayaiteta…" My voice was hardly there, a whisper in the chilling wind. The stars were shining above me in a way that I have never seen them. The Milky Way, a glorious band from horizon to horizon. My obsidian hair was dusted with frost crystals. My breathing was so shallow that I was almost motionless. Time had slowed to an almost impossible crawl as my eyes tracked down from the stars to across the water.

The silhouette of a boat crossing the stars. I saw men in it, rowing so slowly the oars lift out of the syrupy water, leaving weightless pearls floating in the air. The voices of the men sounded slow and distorted. The lookout flashed his flashlight toward me and the light flares across the water, silhouetting the bobbing corpses in between. It flicked past my motionless form and moved on. The boat was 50 feet away and moving past me. The men looked away. My mind was suddenly sharp and alert, my final survival instinct fueling me with almost impossible energy. I lifted my head and turned to Light, ripping my hair up because it had frozen to the wood beneath me.

"Light." I said, my voice barely audible. I touched his shoulder, using my elbows to hoist the rest of my useless body on top of the drift wood. He was lying on his back, and I shook his frozen shoulder again. No response. I turned his head towards me gently; his face was rimmed with frost. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, his eyes drooped closed. But somehow I knew, he wasn't sleeping. I could only stare at his still face as the realization went through me no matter how I tried to suppress it. Light was dead.

"Oh, Light." I whimpered, all hope, will, and spirit leaving me. I looked at the boat as it floated away, the voices fainter now as I watched them go. My brow crumpled as I stared down at his lifeless face, my lips trembling uncontrollably. "Light, are you…?" I pressed my fingers to his pulse point on his neck, no response. It was official at that moment. Light, my light, was gone. I dug my fingers into his frozen jacket, burying my face into his chest. I couldn't stop the shuddering tearless sobs that wracked through my body as I wept into his lifeless body.

"You can't leave me!" I wailed. "You can't! Please open your eyes, Light, please! _Light!_" My resolve crumbled and I broke down entirely, L Lawliet swept away in the process. The shell protecting me cracked and shattered completely, leaving me a sobbing mess of previously repressed emotions that were finally set free. "It's unfair, all I wanted and needed to be happy was to be with you…How can I ever look forward to the future without you…" My sobs had slowed, my shudders continuing. I closed my eyes, grief crushing my already irreparable soul. I was so weak, and I knew that without Light by my side, even if I did make it out of this alive, my life would never be the same. There wasn't even a reason to try.

_Death come quickly…take me now so that I can see Light again…Just one more time, please…_

"…L?"

A voice sounded in the darkness and the breath hitched in my throat. It was God playing the cruelest trick on me, letting me hear the voice I wanted to hear the most. Light's voice. I waited for the heavenly bells and bright light when I felt a hand, soft as a feather, it could have been the wind on the back of my hand which was curled in the fabric of Light's jacket. My eyes snapped open and I raised my head slowly, almost not wanting to believe what I had heard. I could stand to be disappointed. Not again. I looked up and I was met by a pair of dull but still very alive mahogany brown eyes.

My eyes widened to an impossible size and my limbs froze.

"….L-Light…?" I whispered. His eyes were cracked open but he managed the barest hint of a smile. With his free hand he reached up and rested against my frozen cheek.

"Neither my heaven nor my hell would be complete without you L." His voice was barely there but that was all the proof I needed. For the second time that night, I buried my face into Light's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Light, I thought you were dead, I thought you were gone! I'm so glad you're alive, I love you so much!" I gasped softly between breaths. Light curled his free hand over mine, gripping it tightly as if to ensure that he was alive and that I was real.

"I'm here, L. I'll always be by your side no matter what. If you jump I jump right?" I was hearing the words but nothing else mattered to me other than the fact that Light was alive and breathing. But he wouldn't be for long is we didn't get that boat back. On impulse and last resort, I gently unclasped our hands, breaking away a thin tinkling film.

"L, w-where are you—?" I had no time to think or explain as I rolled off the floating staircase and plunged into the icy water, my body numb from the cold and my lower body completely numb from any feeling at all. I swam with everything I had over to the deceased officer with the whistle as quickly as I could. I could feel my body sinking down into the water as my lower body weighed me down like lead. I finally made it to the body and grabbed the whistle from his frozen mouth. With my last bit of waning strength, I blew into the whistle. Its sound slaps across the silent water and I heard the sound of the look out yell in my direction, the direction of life.

I kept blowing as the boat came nearer and nearer. After that everything happened in slow motion. They pulled the whistled from my mouth and hauled me into the boat. Shivering and delusional I desperately pointed to Light, explaining to them that he was still alive. They hauled Light into the boat as well and I wrapped my arms around his frozen, cold paralyzed body as the crewmen scrambled to cover us with as many thick blankets as they could…the last thing I remembered was telling Light that I loved him, over and over until I finally slipped into unconsciousness.

Eventually I did wake, Light who was incredibly pale weak but more alive than before shook my shoulders from under the blankets. I was dragged from my pre-comatose state as I opened my eyes, hearing nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat and slow deep breaths. My own face was as white as the moon as Light pointed toward something beyond my range of sight, but he was obviously excited about it, his face more capable of emotion and excitement. His motions were languid and lost on me. Another man in the boat jumped to his feet, pointing and yelling something. Soon everyone was looking and shouting excitedly, albeit Light who was still extremely weak. I didn't react, I was floating beyond all human emotion.

* * *

The next hours were a blur but I remembered the sun rising, golden light washing across the white boats, which gloated in the calm sea reflecting the rosy sky. All around us, like a flotilla of sailing ships, are icebergs. A rescue boat, The Carpathian sat nearby as boats rowed toward it. By this point I had come back from my zombie-like state of being, still freezing but not at risk of hypothermia as I was before. Light sat next to me, never leaving my side for a moment, curled beside me in the blanket. He was asleep for most of the time as I requested, the two of us sharing body heat.

I looked down at Light who was resting his head against my shoulder and thought about how close I was to losing him. If he hadn't survived, I don't know what I would have done. I kissed his unconscious head softly, wrapping the thick blankets around us tighter. Eventually we did make it onto The Carpathian. Light and I stood together on the solid deck, outside of time, outside of ourselves, barely able stand. We were given hot tea which I gladly took and made Light drink first.

We were eventually united with my brothers. They ran to Light and I, sobbing and clinging to us, even stoic Near was reduced to a blubbering mess. After a heartfelt reunion, I was sure for the first time that day that everything would be alright. Until I noticed that B was nowhere to be found. I looked at Matt because I knew he would never lie to me.

"Matt," I murmured, "where is B?" I said every word slowly and carefully. Matt's lips trembled and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Mello wrapped his arms around Matt's quivering shoulders and looked at me, the most remorseful and serious face I had ever seen on Mello's face.

"L…B is gone. He died of hypothermia last night." He said, tears welling up in his eyes. My eyes widened and I shook my head back and forth slowly.

"No…He can't be. He's not gone, he's Beyond, and he could make it through anything. He's not dead, he's not, I know he's not." I was babbling incessantly, my eyes wheeling around like they had a mind of their own.

"L," Mello tried again, reaching out toward me, "Beyond is gone, our brother is dea—"

"NO!" I screamed at him, gripping the sides of my head with my hands. "He is NOT dead! Where is he? I want to see him, B cannot be dead!" My voice was rising with hysteria as Mello rushed over to me, gripping my shoulders tightly to stop the tremors that wracked through my body.

"L!" Mello yelled, looking me right in the eye. I could tell he was holding back tears. "B. Is. Dead. The cold was just too much for his body." I let the words fully process in my brain before I dropped to my knees, Mello pulling me into a hug.

"But he can't be dead; B was one of the strongest people I knew. I never even got to tell him that I loved him… " I couldn't put up a façade any longer, I was so tired of masking my feelings and after that night, I was broken. B dying was one of the biggest blows to my heart that I could have thought of besides Light dying along with him. B was like my twin. Even though sometimes I wanted to kill him, I loved him so much and now…

Light knelt down beside me, wrapping his arms around me. He was soon joined by Matt and Near as they enveloped me in a warm embrace, only easing my pain by the tiniest tendril by the fact that they were still alive. Even so, the Wammy boys wouldn't be complete without B.

_Watari….how am I going to tell him about what happened?_

My thoughts after that were erratic as we claimed a spot on the deck to sit and wait. Wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution that would never come.

It was the afternoon now and we were sailing into warmer waters, the air taking a drastic change. A melancholy feeling hung in the air around us as we stared at the ground, stared at each other, stared at nothing, as the realization of what had occurred that previous night crashed down on us like the breaking waves. Our ship had sunk, we escaped with our lives, but B was dead. I glanced around the deck and froze when I spotted the shock of perfectly groomed blonde hair. I nudged Light who swung his head toward me, a new cup of hot tea in his hands. His eyes followed mine and he immediately stiffened.

"M-Misa?" He choked out softly. She was coming down the stairs and amongst the wrecked group, looking under shawls and blankets at one bleak face after another. Light was sipping his tea, his eyes focusing on hers as he approached our group. She barely recognized him. He looked like a refugee, his matted hair hanging in his eyes. Light stood to face her, squaring his shoulders. He spoke as if to answer her unvoiced question.

"Yes, I lived. How awkward for you." I watched on as Misa's face went from shock to bewilderment.

"Light…your father and I have been looking for you—" She began until Light raised his hand, stopping her.

"Please don't. Don't talk. Just listen. We will make a deal, since that is something you understand. From this moment you do not exist for me, nor I for you. You shall not see me again. And you will not attempt to find me. In return I will keep my silence. Your actions last night need never come to light, and you will get to keep the honor you have carefully purchased." Light fixed her with a glare as cold and hard as the ice which changed our lives. "Is this in any way unclear?" After a long beat, Misa replied, for the first time, her voice was tentative and a bit frightened.

"What do I tell your father then?" She said. Light raised his head high, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Tell him that his son died with the Titanic." With that, he turned back towards me and sat down with his back to her, dismissing her forever. I peeked up at Misa's emotion stricken face.

"You're precious to me, Light." Misa tried one last time.

"Jewels are precious. Goodbye, Ms. Amane." Right then I felt a sharp pang in my heart. I finally saw that, in the only way she knew, Misa really did love Light. It didn't mean I felt anything but resentment toward her, but I finally understood her. After a moment she turned and walked away. That was the last we ever saw of Misa Amane.

* * *

That night we made it into New York City. It was 9pm on July 18th. Near shook me awake, wordlessly pointing to the Statue of Liberty as we sailed past, welcoming us into the land of the free with her glowing torch. Later, Carpathian discharged the survivors at the Cunard pier, Pier 54. Over 30,000 people lined the dock and filled the surrounding streets. The blinding lights from the photographer's cameras all going off at once were blinding, going off like small bombs. Several hundred police kept the mob back. The deck was packed with friends and relatives, officials, ambulances, and the press.

Reporters and photographers swarmed everywhere, 6 foot deep at the food of the gangways, lining the tops of their news vehicles and trucks, it was a media circus. They jostled and screamed to get close to us, the survivors, tugging on us as we passed, shouting over each other to ask questions.

I had covered Light with a woolen shawl as we walked, surely they would recognize the son of the Japanese Prime Minister. At the same time, I hid my own face and my brothers'. No one knew we existed but I didn't want there to be any record of us at all. We walked with other steerage passengers as Immigration officers stopped us to ask questions as we came off the gangway. One approached Light, pen and pad in hand for records.

"Can I get your name, son?" The man asked, tipping his hat. Light looked at me then turned back towards the officer.

"Lawliet." He said with conviction. "Light Lawliet." I blinked in shock but didn't say anything. I kissed Light's temple and our group kept walking. We went along forward with the dazed immigrants. The flashing lights caused us to flinch, the glare from 10,000 cameras was like a solar flare off the sun. There was a sudden disturbance near us as two men burst through the cordon, running to embrace an older woman along the survivors, who cries out with joy. The reporters converged on this emotional scene and the flashes exploded once more, with more intensity than before. In one blind thought, I grabbed Light's hand and looked at each of my brother's faces. I hugged them all one by one and stepped back, Light standing by my side, his face confused and a bit tired.

"Goodbye you guys. I'll miss you, along with B, but I need to go and find my own way. I'll come back to Japan soon and see you but for now…" I looked at Light who in turn squeezed my hand, our own private message passing between us. They were confused for a moment until they realized what I was saying. I was leaving them for good. They all tried to call out to me at once but it was too late, I used the chaos and confusion to let Light and I slip through and into the crowd. I pushed through the jostling people, moving with purpose, never letting go of Light's hand. No one challenged us.

Don't ask me why I left that night because I wouldn't be able to give you an answer. Can you exchange one like for another? A caterpillar turns into a butterfly. If a mindless insect could do it, why couldn't I? Was it any more unimaginable than the sinking of the Titanic?

I didn't need my brothers, I didn't need money, and I didn't need anything but Light to make fresh start, to start a new day. Weeks and months passed from that fateful night, its haunting memory stayed with us no matter what but each day it was easier and easier to manage. I did take Light to that same Ethiopian village to ride elephants like I promised, you should have seen him. He was terrible at it and fell off the first few times (even once into pachyderm fecal matter) but he still had the time of his life. We traveled the world together, going to Italy, France, Russia, Australia, back to the Americas, even stopping in to Japan to visit my brothers every now and again. They were happy, still grieving over the death of B as was I, but that memory would never fade.

Eventually we had to tell Watari about B's death. Of course he knew about the overall sinking but not that aspect of it. He was grieving as well, but still overwhelmed with happiness that the rest of us were still alive. As a result of this, he actually sent another child to live with Matt, Mello, and Near, his name was C. He was a young child, maybe around 4 years, but as soon as they noticed his strange addiction to strawberry jam he was immediately part of the family. We all knew he could never replace B but we knew B would be pissed off in heaven if he saw us moping around a kid all the kid all the time.

Light also became an official Wammy, so says Watari. He's not a brother but he's a part of the family as Light Lawliet. Eventually our adventures of traveling had to come to an end and I had convinced Light to join me in my detective work back in Japan as L and Y. Y for Yagami even though Light threw away his title as Prime Minister Yagami's son. We lived in our own rather lavish apartment in central Tokyo while visiting my—our—brothers and little C every other weekend.

If you're wondering about Misa, she married of course, and inherited her millions. For some reason she overdosed on pain medication and used a pistol to take her life, a cowardly act for a cowardly person, probably from depression in the year 2014. Her children fought over the scraps of her estate like hyenas, or so I read. She never once tried to contact Light and neither did his father and vise versa, even when we watched his tear-filled televised announcement about the death of his son on Japan's national news not long after we docked in New York. Light had cut ties with them forever.

As for me, knew I had made the right choice when I chose Light. I'm happier than I have ever been and all I needed was him. The old L Lawliet had passed away along with the Titanic and the new L Lawliet was ready to face the world head on and start actually living his life, to break the never ending cycle.

In a way, the sinking of the Titanic taught me a lot of things. It taught me to respect my life and the lives of others along with, as cheesy as it sounds, to not take life for granted.

It taught me to take life as it came at me because you never know what hand you'll get dealt next, to make each day count. It was that day that made me realize that anyone can change their life; it just depends on the silly choices we make.

* * *

**There you have it. I hope a lot of loose ends were tied up, if not I'll answer those questions in the epilogue I hope to write soon whenever I get the chance. Our time as come to an end here so I'll leave you with this last goodbye on this fanfiction, hope you got some enjoyment out of reading this, leave me a review on what you thought of this chapter or what you thought about the fanfiction as a whole, I'd love to hear from you all. I'll be working on One Man's Trash next, I hope to see at the next update for that one, good bye!**

**~Lawlietfan347**


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